Tintern Wireworks Bridge is a grade II listed bridge across the River Wye on the border of Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire at Tintern in the Wye Valley.
More information at https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1393682
Tintern Wireworks Bridge Improvements
Working in partnership with Monmouthshire County Council, the refurbishment of the Tintern Wireworks Bridge is due to get underway in August 2022; taking around nine months to complete.
If you have any questions please contact us by emailing highways@gloucestershire.gov.uk.
What work has taken place?
The Tintern Wireworks Bridge, which lies on the border of Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire, is in poor condition and in need of significant repairs. The bridge is jointly owned by Gloucestershire County Council and Monmouthshire County Council with Gloucestershire having the responsibility for bridge inspections and maintenance.
Early in 2021 detailed survey work was carried out by specialist contractors to establish the condition of the bridge, the extent of the repairs required and to inform the design work necessary to plan the refurbishment. This detailed study revealed that repairs are essential to prevent the bridge from becoming unsafe to use. The county council concluded that due to its deteriorating condition it would not be possible to keep the bridge open for pedestrians and cyclists without repair works.
The bridge is currently still open for pedestrians and cyclists but the condition is being regularly monitored and if necessary use will be further restricted to maintain public safety.
What are we doing and when will works start?
The design work for the refurbishment has been completed and the construction contract has been awarded to VolkerLaser. Works began on site on 8 August 2022 and is expected to take 8 - 9 months to complete. The refurbishment of the bridge will include:
- Full removal of the timber deck and replacement with a steel deck to meet the required capacity. This will have a timber look finish to meet heritage requirements
- Strengthening of the structure, including the installation of new box beams to replace the existing corroding steel infrastructure
- The structure will be fully enclosed for grit blasting and painting
- The masonry supports will be repointed to extend their life
Most of these activities make access impossible across the bridge, as the deck will be fully removed for a significant period of the construction phase so it will not be possible to keep the bridge open while the work is carried out.
Where can I find more information?
A public event to share the details of the project and to introduce the main works contractor was held at Tintern Village Hall on Tuesday 21 June. The public share information boards can be viewed here.
Check this webpage for scheme updates.
If you have any further questions regarding construction of this project, please contact VolkerLaser by emailing enquiries@VolkerLaser.co.uk.
For local tourism information please visit www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk/exploring-wye-valley-aonb/ or www.visitmonmouthshire.com/explore/tintern.
Frequently Asked Questions
The bridge is owned jointly by Gloucestershire County Council and Monmouthshire County Council. Gloucestershire County Council is the maintaining authority with responsibility for bridge inspections and maintenance.
No. It is a public right of way (footpath) only and has never been a publicly adopted highway. It is not suitable for vehicles to use.
The historic assessment of the bridge based the 3T weight capacity on all elements, in particular the timber planks, being in good/new condition.
The highway ends at the MCC end of the bridge and the bridge itself only carries a PROW and has a right of access agreement to allow vehicles to individual properties/land on the GCC side. This however is qualified by a further document whereby the council/maintaining agent has the right to close the bridge if it deteriorates to such a condition that it is no longer safe to remain open.
A full refurbishment and strengthening of the structure will be undertaken in 2022.
• The existing timber deck will be replaced with a new steel deck to meet the required capacity.
• The structure will be fully encapsulated for grit blasting and painting.
• Masonry abutments/piers will be repointed to ensure longevity.
Works began on site on 8 August 2022 and is expected to take 8 - 9 months to complete. There will be no access to any users over the bridge during construction. For local tourism information please visit www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk/exploring-wye-valley-aonb/ or www.visitmonmouthshire.com/explore/tintern.
A number of mitigation measures will be implemented prior to and during construction, an example of these are:
- Our Public Rights of Way (PRoW) Team will assist with advanced closure signing of the route to the bridge giving appropriate warning that the route ahead is closed, and no access is possible over the bridge into Tintern
- Web page and FAQ’s being updated frequently
- Local residents and businesses will be kept informed of progress so that any concerns can be addressed
- For local tourism information please visit www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk/exploring-wye-valley-aonb/ or https://www.visitmonmouthshire.com/explore/tintern.
No, in order to complete works as quickly and safely as possible we will not be able to accommodate any access during the construction.
Yes, all the required environmental assessments, appraisals and surveys will be undertaken. The design and construction will be tailored to account for any environmental risks. Construction activities will be programmed in a manner to address environmental constraints.
We are still in the detailed design phase of the scheme prior to tendering this project. We currently anticipate that the scheme will cost in the region of £1.5 million.
The bridge has been under an advisory closure to vehicles from November 2019 for safety reasons. GCC have contacted affected landowners to make them aware of the weak bridge condition and they were advised that continued use was at their own risk. It was also requested at this time that vehicle movements be kept to a minimum and with light vehicles only.
GCC also advised local landowners in early 2020 that this closure would be enforced if vehicles continued to use the bridge excessively or exceeded the 3-tonne weight limit after two of the timber planks were dislodged.
The bridge was closed to vehicles in August 2021 as a result of serious safety concerns due to the deterioration in the bridge structure and the continued vehicle use.
The renovation scheme is being jointly funded by Gloucestershire County Council and Monmouthshire County Council.
Most of the construction traffic is not anticipated to require access to the bridge. Majority of the construction activities are confined within the encapsulation and will require access for construction personnel only.
Vehicular movements are anticipated to be kept to a minimum is during the initial phases of scaffolding erection. There will be an adequate weight limit imposed during the construction phase to ensure the bridge is not subjected to any adverse structural impact.
Each GCC asset is priority assessed to ensure the budgets available are spent in the areas that most need it; based on strategic location on the network as well as structural condition. Unfortunately, this is not a highway structure in a strategic location and due to the size of the structure and the significant cost required to undertake these repairs it has taken some time for sufficient budget to be available to undertake these works.