thirdcrank wrote:To be fair to local politicians, I suspect that until quite recently, this has been beyond their control.
My understanding is that the bridge has always been owned by the railway: originally private companies, then British Rail, Railtrack and more recently, Network Rail. Having travelled a few times by train along this route purely as a sightseer, I've been surprised but pleased that it survived the Beeching cuts. Any subsequent lack of public spending on the line has been the responsibility of Westminster. I'm only guessing, but it looks as though this is exactly the type of scheme that has benefited from devolved government.
As to whether the bridge could have been kept open pending repairs, all I'm saying is that once experts have said "No" that's generally going to be the end of it. It's a brave person these days who compromises over health and safety. The flipside of your "commonsense" observations is the outcry whenever there is an accident which everybody knew was just waiting to happen. Against a background of what seems to be a lot of local inconvenience and disruption to travel, I can't see how any intervention from the CTC would have made the slightest difference.
Well I did put "local" in brackets! And while you may want to be fair about it, as for myself, now pushed for an opinion, I personally see it a huge failing on their parts all round
.
Other less improtant priojects IMHO (community art for example) have often attracted large sums .
But we divert from the issue of the bridge.
The situation (in my understanding) was, prior to any constuction, that the bridge itself was owned and maintained by the railway but the access road was mostly privately owned with small approach sections the responsibilty of the local authority. A complex issue. The tolls were shared between the private owner and the railway.
Regarding the dangerous aspect. The roadway has never had a footway and it is part of the new scheme that one is now provided. It's fantastic (for those likely to live to see it
). So all pedestrians and cyclists have always run the gauntlet of the traffic on the very narrow curving and blind bridge.
This was particularly the case at night when the bridge was unlit and without any traffic control. Often only confident cyclists would take it on and I personally know several that would not do so.
The river side barrier of the bridge has always been extremely minimal, especially for a heavier vehicle. One touch and you're in!!!
My point is that we have all lived with a really dangerous bridge for years but there were never any health and safety issues then!! The suspicion is that the construction firm merely prefer to have an easy life and keep the bridge closed.
If the bridge was reopened for cyclists and pedestrians there might be a few old bikes dusted off and used again, such is the length of the detour. Good news.
As to intervention from the CTC, well the fact that Lon Las Cymru runs across should be a factor and for Sustrans too come to that. And access from the south could be achieved without any problems at all for construction traffic as the site is on the south side. Need to be there really to look, but there is a new temp access road.
Personally I would not use the word intervention but rather merely the raising of a voice in support of cycling facilities. Such a word from organisations always counts for more than one from the hapless individual.
So again I plead, CTC and Sustrans give it a look.
So, when I come to think of it the CTC may have more expertise in this connection than I thought. 
