WORK to replace a footbridge in Caerphilly county borough should be completed by next April.
The Ty’n-y-Graig footbridge bridge, which spanned the Rhymney Valley rail line at Llanbradach, was removed for safety reasons in 2020 after being damaged.
Transport for Wales initially said replacing such a footbridge would normally take between one and two years, but this estimate has now been extended by a further 12 months.
A Welsh Government minister confirmed on Wednesday the replacement work had "taken longer than expected" and apologised to residents for the delays.
Lee Waters said the new bridge was a "bespoke" design to replace the one removed two years ago, after it was "severely damaged by a lorry and then had to be torn down".
Caerphilly MS Hefin David said he had spoken with Transport for Wales executives after hearing local rumours the firm was not intending to replace the bridge.
"They've made it absolutely clear their intention to replace the bridge — that will happen," he told the Senedd. "However, the timescale is fairly long. They were going to introduce a temporary bridge, but that would interfere with the work required to introduce a permanent bridge, they've subsequently discovered, which is disappointing."
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Mr Waters, the climate change deputy minister, said: "I can confirm what [Mr David] says. The bridge definitely will be replaced and we're hoping it'll be in place a year from now, between late March and April 2023.
"It has taken longer than expected."
He added: "The process that it's had to go through, with a design bespoke for this particular location, has been complex, and obviously we've had Covid hit us at the same time.
"I apologise to the residents for the delays that they've had to put up with, but there's every intention by Transport for Wales to replace this bridge."
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