DEVELOPMENT – BRIDGE 17 (Step 1.2.4.4)

Bridge 17 (uploaded 14 November 2008)

The term ‘Bridge’ is perhaps too grand for this friendly little arch, but it is named thus in the original bridge register. When built, around 1872, it was a subway and carried the railway over a footpath. These days it carries the railway over a small stream which emerges from Doncaster’s works, and which empties, a few yards further downstream, into the headwaters of the Avon Llwyd, the principal waterway in our valley, which flows down the valley to join the River Usk just north of Newport. Locally we call it ‘Doncaster’s Stream Bridge’.

Despite its simple appearance a careful examination has revealed that its western wall is tilting and there are planned to rebuild it in the next few months

Water gurgles happily from the arch, but unconstrained vegetation growth threatens to engulf it. The delicate iron railings have been dwarfed on this side by ‘safe’ wooden fencing.

Viewed from above, passengers will have little idea that they are travelling over the arch. The wooden deck to the left is carried on crude mass concrete abutments and carries the cycletrack – but was it necessary to cut the existing railings back quite so far?

WORK BEGINS (added 9 January 2009)

There were times when we thought it might never happen, but at long last, with design work is complete and contracts formally let, work is beginning to start. Bridge 17 is the most southerly of the bridges to receive attention, and will be the first to be repaired. Then, successively, retreating northwards, Bridges 16, 14 and 13 (Bridge 15 was filled-in in 1975) will receive attention, each, by coincidence, being more difficult than its predecessor. Contractors Griffiths of Abergavenny, are the main contractors, and we expect them to be with us until mid-May.

Volunteer Ian looks southwards from Bridge 17 on Sunday 4 January. On that day it was cleared of rail and sleepers in severe cold weather by PBR volunteers, ready for work to begin.	Viewed from the embankment between Bridges 13 and 14 on 8 January, Griffiths can be seen to have set up camp alongside the cycletrack. Actual work on the bridge will begin on Monday 12th photo:Alastair Warrington

WORK PROGRESS (uploaded 17 January 2009)

The work on Bridge 16 (Doncaster’s) which looked quite forbidding at first sight was done and dusted very quickly and without problems. This is the most southerly bridge for which work is scheduled, and since the line has to be cut further up the line, it will be the last bridge on which track is finally laid before trains can reach Blaenavon (High Level) again. We anticipate that this will be in mid-May, but it could be a month earlier.

Work in progress on 13 January – the fence, of steel tube and cast iron posts has been removed. Deep excavations show where the west spandrel wall is being completely rebuilt img_1836rr

By 17 January the rebuilding work essentially complete, it only needs the sub-base to be reinstalled. The original fence was cruelly truncated to make room for the wooden bridge, which was installed for the cycletrack a few years ago. img_1847rr

By 22 January the work is complete, except for relaying track and side ballasting. Since the line has been breached at each of bridges 16, 14 and 13, it will be some months before this work is done – indeed, it will be the last to be done. img_1862rr

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