DRIVERS in Caerphilly will face a lengthy diversion on Friday night, when a footbridge is removed for refurbishment.

Caerphilly County Borough Council said the Wilkins Terrace footbridge - which spans the A468/A469 - will be removed between 8pm on Friday and 6am the following day.

The works mean anyone wishing to travel along that road, between the Pwll-y-Pant and Trecenydd roundabouts, will have to take a nearly half-hour diversion.

A 1.2-mile stretch of the road will be closed for the bridge's removal. It typically takes three minutes to travel by car between the two roundabouts.

Instead, drivers will be sent on an 18-mile diversion route, taking an average 27 minutes.

Pedestrians and cyclists will be diverted to Pwll-Y-Pant roundabout to use the existing pedestrian crossing.

Once the bridge has been removed, the road will be reopened.

It is expected the off-site maintenance work on the bridge will take around six weeks, before it is put back in place.

The proposed diversion route will take traffic away from Nantgarw hill via the A470 to Abercynon roundabout, through Nelson and Ystrad Mynach on the A472, and then back onto the A469 toward Pwll-y-Pant roundabout.

Traffic traveling westwards will follow the same diversion route in the opposite direction.