**UPDATE: 04/05/23 - the Council's contractor has advised that the revised start date for this scheme will be Tuesday, May 9. The information below has been updated to reflect this.
The important scheme to repair and refurbish Imperial Bridge in Porth will resume on site from Tuesday, May 9. Announced last year, this is the second scheduled phase of work that is required to protect the structure for the future.
The first phase of work was carried out throughout 2022, pausing during November to comply with Natural Resources Wales’ seasonal restrictions for working within the river. The overall scheme will carry out steelwork repairs to structural elements of the bridge, repaint all steelwork and parapets, install expansion joints and complete carriageway resurfacing at Pontypridd Road.
Contractor Centregreat Ltd made good progress under a road closure last year – completing all steelwork and parapet repairs, applying protective paintwork and replacing the southern bridge bearings. Outstanding activity includes replacing the bearings on the northern side of the bridge, remedial works to a wingwall, waterproofing the bridge and the final resurfacing work.
The contractor will resume work from Tuesday, May 9, and the scheme is due to be completed by September 2023. The works site will be remobilised from May 9 and the road closure will be reinstated, as was previously in place on Pontypridd Road last year. Pedestrian access over the bridge will be maintained throughout. Please note that all local businesses are open as usual during this road closure.
From May 9, an alternative route for all northbound traffic heading towards Porth Town Centre is via the A4058, Porth Street, North Road and Pontypridd Road. Southbound traffic heading towards Eirw Road or in the direction of Pontypridd should proceed via B4278 Llwyncelyn Road and the A4058. These alternative routes are illustrated on a map on the Council’s website, here.
As last year, all Stagecoach bus services will be unable to serve Eirw Road in either direction. Service 132 (Cardiff-Maerdy) will serve Porth Town Centre as usual in both directions but will be unable to serve Eirw Road – diverting via Llwyncelyn Road and Britannia Bridge. Services 124 (Cardiff-Maerdy) and 131 (Royal Glamorgan Hospital-Maerdy) will use their normal southbound route, but operate via the A4058 northbound, stopping at Porth Police Station.
All other local bus services will operate as normal during the road closure period, including services 120/130, 133, 137, 138, 173 and 175.
Residents of Eirw Road will be served by Service 150 (Gilfach Goch-Porth) on Mondays to Saturdays. On Sundays, an hourly shuttle bus service operated by Xarrow Travel will transport residents via Llwyncelyn Road to Porth Town Centre, to meet Service 132. Northbound journeys from Morrison’s Porth will operate from 9.14am to 7.14pm, while southbound journeys from Pontypridd Road (Lewis Merthyr Workmen’s Hall) will operate from 8.14am to 5.14pm. Xarrow Travel can be contacted on 07967 636659 for more information.
This important scheme to repair and refurbish Imperial Bridge is being carried out with funding from the Council’s Highways, Transportation and Strategic Projects Capital Programme. The Council would like to thank residents for their patience and cooperation as work progresses in the months ahead.
Posted on 04/05/2023