Bridge too far as homes face extra isolation for three years

RESIDENTS living on a small Welsh cul-de-sac, who have been isolated for two years since their council closed a bridge, have now been told the structure is beyond repair until 2027.

Trapped homeowners on Forge Mews in Bassaleg, Gwent, can only get to their homes on foot after Newport city council shut the only connecting road bridge to traffic in 2021 amid fears that it had become dangerous after “significant” damage.

Now, engineers have warned that there is no quick fix and it will take another three years to erect a new structure across the Ebbw river, at a cost of up to £9million.

Residents in the 19 homes have complained that emergency services struggle to reach them, large deliveries are impossible and many council services that rely on vehicles are difficult.

Now they must wait until January 2027 at the earliest to be reconnected to the rest of Newport, which will be more than five years after the bridge closed.

Jane Mudd, the leader of the Labourrun council, said the bridge’s condition made hopes of fixing it “impossible”. She told a council meeting earlier this year: “This is not an easy or quick task.”

In August 2021, the bridge was closed amid fears it might collapse.

It has since been revealed that consultant engineers were paid up to £200,000 to try to work out ways to reopen the bridge. However, it has now emerged that no viable solution has been found.

Tony Brookes, who lives on the street, said: “Nothing has happened. We were told no work could start during the rainbow trout spawning season.

“That was two years ago. Nothing’s happened since. There are rats by the bins and foxes going through our bin bags. We don’t know what to do.”

The council has endorsed plans for a new bridge, which will require an initial £40,000 assessment that will last three months. Council officers believe design and planning will take 12 months with a further two years to build a new bridge.