A TEMPORARY bridge is to be installed to keep traffic flowing on the Llyn after a bridge was ‘significantly damaged’.

Gwynedd Council is to install a temporary bridge over the Afon Rhyd-hir river on the A497 between Efailnewydd and Boduan. 

This follows significant structural damage to the Grade II-listed Pont Bodfel bridge which has been closed to traffic since Saturday, 26 January.

Work to lay a temporary surface from the main road and to install the single-lane temporary Bailey bridge will get underway as soon as possible and it is expected that the road can then be reopened with a two-way traffic light system within the next three weeks.

Work to make the structure of Pont Bodfel safe is also underway, as is the process of establishing the best permanent solution.

Gwynedd Council highways and municipal Cabinet member Cllr Gareth Griffith said: “As soon as structural engineers confirmed that it would not be possible to immediately reopen Pont Bodfel, council staff have acted swiftly to find the best possible temporary solution.

“Installing a temporary bridge and connecting road surface will be a significant challenge but, weather permitting, we are confident that the work can be completed in the next three weeks.

“This temporary measure will mean a quicker reopening of the A497, which reduces the risk of an accident and will allow the emergency services to attend to calls as quickly as possible in the area.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank local residents and road users for their continued patience.

“Hopefully this announcement will be welcomed by local residents and businesses alike who have expressed concern about the possibility of an eight mile diversion from Boduan to Y Ffôr.”

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