Historic bridge is damaged again

The damage was caused soon after repair work was completed

A bridge which has been repeatedly damaged by lorries has been hit again shortly after repairs were completed.

Work on the historic stone bridge in Usk finished on Tuesday but a lorry caused further damage on Thursday.

Articulated lorry drivers use the town as a shortcut but Usk mayor councillor Tony Kear said many lorries were too big for the 18th Century bridge.

He said he was concerned that it was only a matter of time before somebody was seriously injured or killed.

"The back end of the lorries swinging round is what damages the bridge and they often don't know they've done it," said Mr Kear.

"We are really worried that someone is going to be badly injured or killed."

He added he had been told about a visitor who was knocked to the ground after being hit by the wing mirror of a lorry.

Sat-navs were also causing problems sending lorries through the town rather than alternative routes.

The mayor of Usk says a bypass would solve the problem

There is a weight restriction on the crossing over the River Usk but local people say rules need to be tightened.

There are exceptions to the weight limit and the orders can be difficult to enforce.

More than 100 people attended a recent public meeting to address concerns about the bridge and air pollution in the town.

Mr Kear said the best solution in the long run would be a bypass.

"The ultimate goal is a bypass which would need massive Welsh Assembly investment to happen. That would solve all our problems," he said.

Monmouthshire County Council's head of highways David Harris said several options were being considered but they all had drawbacks.

"If we could have traffic lights and single-lane traffic we wouldn't have the damage but it could create more congestion in the main street which adds to the air pollution problems," he said.

We have options but they have down sides David Harris, Monmouthshire council

Another idea being considered is building a separate footbridge for pedestrians which would allow the existing bridge to be widened slightly.

A third option is to widen part of the corner of the bridge to allow more space for lorries to pass through.

Mr Harris said these options ran the risk of spoiling the architecture of the bridge but something had to be done.

The stone bridge was built in 1746 at a cost of £980 to replace a wooden one.

It was altered 100 years later because it was found to be too steep and narrow for modern traffic.

The 19th Century alterations, costing £200, were carried out after somebody fell into the river from a hay wagon and died.