CEREDIGION County Council officers are being urged to give villagers of Llanfair Clydogau some idea of when historic Llanfair Bridge will be re-opened following its partial collapse.

Last week’s Cambrian News reported how the village had effectively been cut in half following the collapse of a relief arch prompting council engineers to close the bridge to vehicles and pedestrians.

The temporary closure means motorists in the eastern part of the village now face having to make a two-mile detour to get to the general store, post office and newsagents.The bridge is now open to pedestrians.

On Wednesday, a county council spokesperson said: “It is unfortunately not possible to say at this time for exactly how long the road will remain closed.”

County Hall’s admission that they have no idea when the bridge will re-open has now sparked fears that the road which is the shortest route from Llanddewi Brefi to Lampeter could remain closed for some time.

“Ceredigion are simply not instructing us on what they have to do,” community councillor Alan Leech told the Cambrian News.

“Obviously the closure of the bridge is a matter of urgency in terms of the local economy, the community and the lives of the people who live here.

“Llanfair Shop is at the heart of the community and the fear is that the loss of the bridge will impact on the business, yet there remains no evidence at this end that anything is being done.

“No-one is silly or stupid enough to expect that bridge to be repaired overnight, but the county council’s statement is vague, unspecific and general and shows a lack of urgency and commitment in dealing with this problem."

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