A TEMPORARY bridge over the Afon Rhyd-hir on the A497 near Pwllheli is set to be opened next week.

The old Grade II listed Pont Bodfel river bridge located between Efailnewydd and Boduan was closed to traffic three weeks ago because of significant structural damage.

A single lane temporary bridge has now been installed and work to lay connecting road surface is being carried out. This means that the road can then be re-opened with a two way traffic light system by the end of next week.

Work to make the structure of the old Pont Bodfel safe is also being carried out in parallel to this project and the process of establishing the best permanent solution to the damaged bridge is in hand.

Gwynedd Council's cabinet member for highways, Cllr Gareth Griffith, said: "I’m sure the whole local community would agree that this temporary measure is to be welcomed. It has meant a quicker re-opening of the A497, reducing the risk of a road traffic accident and allowing the emergency services to attend to calls as quickly as possible in the area.

"Hopefully this latest development will make life much easier for local residents and businesses who have been forced to make an eight miles long diversion from Boduan to Y Ffôr.

"When the damage happened in January, structural engineers from the council moved quickly and confirmed it would not be possible to immediately re-open Pont Bodfel and council staff have acted to find the best possible temporary solution. Installing a temporary bridge and connecting road surface has been a significant challenge, especially as conditions can be difficult in the winter.”

Steffan Jones, the council’s head of highways and municipal services, added: "Initial technical assessments indicate Pont Bodfel suffered significant structural damage to one of the pillars, which appears to have been mainly caused by scouring damage under the bridge foundations.

"As this is a Grade Il three-span masonry bridge, which dates back to the early 19th century, repairing Pont Bodfel will be a major logistical challenge.”