Transport for Wales will replace Ty’n Y Graig footbridge at Llanbradach on the Rhymney line as soon as possible, CEO James Price has stated.
The footbridge was demolished by contractor Alun Griffiths last month. It crossed both the railway and a minor road and., on 28 May, it was struck by a road vehicle, rendering it unsafe and closing the railway.
Alun Griffiths removed the bridge the following day so that the railway could reopen. Further work took place overnight on Sunday 31 May to complete the work, including removing the footbridge steps and demolishing the remaining abutment.
Although TfW is committed to reinstating the crossing as soon as possible, it cannot yet give a detailed timeline for the work due to the challenges presented by Covid-19. The pandemic has not only changed the way TfW’s teams work but has also impacted on the supply chain and the lead-in times for materials.
The building of a typical bridge on railway lines involves many stages, including consultations, site investigations, preliminary and detailed design, materials procurement, fabrication, enabling works and, finally, installation. TfW will now need to consider how this is all delivered in the context of coronavirus as safely and quickly as possible.
James Price, Transport for Wales CEO, said: “On behalf of everyone at TfW, I’d like to thank our infrastructure team and our colleagues at Griffiths for their hard work in ensuring the safe removal of the Ty’n-y-Graig footbridge. It is another example of our commitment to working collaboratively with our partners to Keep Wales Moving.
“I’d also like to thank our customers and the community of Llanbradach for their patience and understanding while work was being undertaken on the bridge. We appreciate that this is an historic facility used by the members of the community to access local woodlands, and we are committed to reinstating it as soon as we can.”
