The walkway over Berw Road Bridge (White Bridge) will be temporarily closed from August 14, as scaffolding is removed and relocated for repairs to the final section of the bridge.
Berw Road Bridge, known as White Bridge, was damaged by Storm Dennis, and closed with immediate effect in February 2020 to ensure public safety. The Council worked closely with Cadw to gain consent for major repairs to the Listed structure, which also supports a gas main through a pipe on the bridge.
Following initial repairs, the bridge was temporarily reopened to traffic and pedestrians in November 2021 while the main scheme was prepared. The main work started in 2022, requiring the necessary closure of the bridge to motorists. The Council has made it clear throughout that this is a major scheme that requires White Bridge to close for a significant period of time.
Latest progress update
The pedestrian access over White Bridge will be temporarily removed from Monday, August 14, as the scheme moves on to the final section of repairs to the bridge structure. To date, four of the five phases of concrete repairs to different sections of the bridge have been completed. The scaffolding will be removed and then relocated to the final section of the bridge from August 14.
RCT Council will provide residents with an update when the pedestrian access is able to be reinstated – this is anticipated to be in around four weeks’ time.
Recent work has included completion of the fourth phase of concrete repairs, on the bridge section where the scaffolding currently sits. Scour protection has been installed to the north pier (Berw Road side of the bridge), while soil netting and rock anchors have been installed to stabilise the embankment upstream of the bridge (The Parade side). Masonry repointing to the wing walls and abutments has also been completed on both sides of the bridge.
What happens next?
The final phase of concrete repairs to the bridge will start when the scaffolding has been relocated. Once this phase gets underway, the extent and locations of the required structural repairs will begin to be identified by the contractor. The timescale for completion of the overall scheme will be dictated by what is discovered once the bridge’s original concrete material is removed.
Once the final phase of concrete repairs is completed, the bridge’s existing footways and carriageways will be removed (along with the diversion of gas and water apparatus) to enable waterproofing to the concrete bridge deck.
The final elements of the overall scheme will be to reinstate the gas/water apparatus, reinstall the road and footways, renew highway drainage over the bridge, replace street lighting columns, refurbish the existing parapets on the bridge, and reinstall ornamental railing on the bridge approach at The Parade. Further details about these elements will be communicated in due course.
The Council would like to thank residents for their continued patience and cooperation as this major scheme enters its final phases of work – to future-proof the Listed structure for the long-term benefit of the local community.
The scheme is being delivered via a large programme of Storm Dennis works in Rhondda Cynon Taf (2023/24), being wholly funded by Welsh Government.
