Council supporting the replacement of privately-owned bridge in Pontyclun

The Council is supporting the replacement of a privately-owned bridge in Pontyclun – ensuring the public right of way it supports is safe and accessible for years to come.

The Bailey Bridge, over the River Clun between Ely Valley Business Park and Station Terrace, is in urgent need of replacement having exceeded its design life. The public right of way over the bridge will close in order for the bridge to be replaced by its owner, starting in September.

It follows lengthy negotiations between the Council, the bridge owner and the local businesses which rely on the bridge for access – to agree a resolution to the bridge’s declining and critical condition.

Without the Council’s support, it is likely the bridge would have been closed in the coming months on safety grounds.

An agreement reached by the bridge owner, together with a number of businesses at Ely Valley Business Park and the Council, will see each party contributing to the cost of the replacement bridge. The owner will carry out the replacement works and the Council will adopt the new bridge following the works – to ensure it is properly maintained and available for public use in the future.

The replacement must be carried out at the earliest opportunity – and delaying the scheme is not an option. The public right of way must be closed during the replacement works, which are set to last around nine weeks. Alternative pedestrian routes are available, but the topography of the area means there is no convenient diversion route between Tyla Garw and Pontyclun.

However, the Council is in the process of finalising arrangements to provide free transport for pupils to and from school, during the bridge closure. This will be communicated well in advance of the new school year. In conjunction with this, the Council will provide additional bus journeys at peak times, allowing public travel between Tyla Garw, Pontyclun Town Centre and Pontyclun Railway Station. Details of these additional services are included below – there will be no charge for residents using these dedicated bus services.

There is also a demand-responsive community transport service which is run by Travol and serves Tyla Garw. Its Blue Dragon service provides pre-booked links to local centres, the hospital and more. Meanwhile, there are a number of bus services that run along the A473 and Lanelay Road to the north of Tyla Garw, linking to Talbot Green, Pontyclun, Llanharan, Bridgend and Cardiff.

The Council acknowledges there will be disruption and inconvenience for the local community during these works – and thanks residents in advance for their cooperation. The Bailey Bridge replacement is essential, and will ensure the community can benefit from the public right of way for years to come.

Residents can contact the Council with any queries, via email, on TransportationServices@rctcbc.gov.uk. Further information about bus routes serving Tyla Garw are available from Traveline Cymru – online at www.travline.cymru or by calling 0800 464 00 00. To get in touch with the Travol community transport service, call 01443 486872.

The school transport and additional bus services being organised by the Council will run from Monday to Friday for the duration of the Bailey Bridge replacement only. They are outlined in the table below: