A historic bridge is finally set to be demolished more than three years after being badly damaged by storms. The Castle Inn Bridge in Treforest will be knocked down and replaced with a new footbridge after sustaining severe structural damage during Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis in early 2020.
The listed bridge, which spans the Afon Taff between River Street in Treforest and Cardiff Road in Glyntaff, has been closed since just after the storms hit, with the council confirming plans to replace it the following year and planning permission being granted in March 2022.
However, while the work was initially expected to be completed by the end of last year, it is set to finally get underway this month after Rhondda Cynon Taf council was granted listed building consent to demolish it by the Welsh Government in close consultation with Cadw. Get the latest news from WalesOnline sent straight to your inbox for free by signing up to our newsletter.
Read more: Congestion charges being considered for drivers in Cardiff
The demolition work will begin on Monday, April 24 and take place over seven weeks. Once it is complete the structure, which dates back to the 19th century, will be replaced by a new 35-metre long bridge for pedestrians and cyclists to use to cross over the river.
The decision to replace the bridge came after it was found to have caused major flooding on Cardiff Road during Storm Dennis, having effectively acted as a blockage within the river. It is hoped that the new bridge will improve flood defences in the area with a section of the nearby river wall also being replaced.
Given the bridge's history, the council has worked closely with Cadw to preserve its heritage with archaeologists set to be on site during the demolition phase, as they look for key details about how it was built. The new bridge has been "designed sympathetically" and in keeping with the original structure, with some original stonework retained.
Traffic lights are set to remain in place near the bridge on Cardiff Road for the duration of the demolition work, although there is not due to be any further disruption on the surrounding roads during this time. Once the demolition is complete, the construction of the new bridge is set to commence in July, with a section of Cardiff Road set to close during the school summer holiday.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said the process of replacing the bridge had been "very complex", partly due to its listed status. However, he added that the bridge was an "important landmark" and the council was working "very hard" to preserve its heritage where possible.
“The Council remains committed to repairing, maintaining and future-proofing bridges and other key infrastructure across the County Borough, with £4.45m allocated for Highways Structures in the latest 2023/24 Capital Programme," he said. "The Castle Inn Bridge scheme is part of a separate £20.1m Storm Dennis repair programme this year, funded by Welsh Government and delivered by the Council, to continue our response to the unprecedented storm event.
“The process of replacing Castle Inn Bridge has been very complex due to the nature of the work and the structure’s Listed status. Key considerations have included obtaining permissions for the work, significant utility diversions, major design and planning phases, and environmental restrictions for river working.
“While it’s clear that the bridge needs replacing to significantly reduce flood risk, we are working very hard to preserve its heritage where possible," Cllr Morgan added. "Our final scheme has Cadw’s consent, and will greatly contribute to the bridge’s historic record – with some elements of the original structure being re-used.
“I’d like to thank residents for their continued cooperation as the demolition work begins from Monday, April 24. No additional traffic management is needed on top of the traffic lights currently in place at Cardiff Road until the summer holidays. We will keep local residents up-to-date as further milestones are reached and will communicate arrangements for the main construction phase in due course.”
READ NEXT:
