Angry civic figures in Newtown have called for immediate action to solve the town’s traffic problems after the Aberbechan bridge drama which they claim could have been a ‘disaster’.
The Grade II listed bridge, which crosses the River Severn three miles from Newtown, is popular with residents who use it to avoid the traffic chaos that blights the main road into the town. But it was forced to close at the weekend after cracks were reported and has remained shut since as Powys County Council engineers survey the extent of the damage.
And it has sparked anger from the town which has been suffering under the weight of huge traffic volumes and is expecting a verdict on whether it will receive its long awaited by-pass in the spring.
“Bridges like the one at Aberbechan are disasters waiting to happen,” said Town Mayor, Cllr Joy Jones. “The side roads have become really busy and are not built to cope with the volumes of traffic that use them. My concern is that it is not just the bridge which is struggling structurally. We are all relieved that the bridge didn’t collapse and cause some serious injuries or worse. Thankfully the cracks have been discovered but even when it is fixed it will still not solve our traffic headaches.”
Newtown County Councillor Russell George has voiced concerns that the closure of this road will add to Newtown’s traffic misery.
He said: “The road may be closed for some time and this will no doubt lead to more congestion though Newtown. This does highlight the concern that these small roads are not designed for large amounts of traffic, I have had numerous people contact me concerned about the increased traffic along canal road.”
Cllr. George is heavily involved in lobbying the Assembly government to resolve Newtown’s traffic problems and is planning to lead a delegation to the Welsh Assembly later this year to present a petition demanding urgent action.
Initial investigations have led Powys County Council to believe that the cracks have appeared due to the prolonged freeze.