MORE than £360,000 has been spent on a structurally-unsafe bridge in Bassaleg which had to be closed last year, it has been revealed.

Old Bassaleg Bridge was closed to pedestrians and vehicles in August last year after it was found to be structurally unsafe and in need of urgent repairs.

And now a Freedom of Information request has revealed the closure and associated work cost Newport City Council £366,743.31 between August 1, 2021 and December 31.

Of this, £82,618.31 has been spent on structural consultants, and a further £284,225 on traffic management - including security measures and the building of an access road for residents of a nearby cul-de-sac.

A Newport City Council spokesman said: "These costs reflect the emergency nature of a unique situation, where access and continuing traffic management were provided to safeguard residents of Forge Mews until alternative arrangements could be provided.

"The council has not dealt with any similar scenarios to compare these costs to."

The closure of the bridge cut residents living in Forge Mews off from their homes, meaning the council had to create a new access point off the A467, which has had a knock-on effect on traffic.

However, recently the council have informed residents that the access point will be closed which has led them into making a formal complaint about how the council have handled the situation.

Residents would have to park in designated bays nearby Viaduct Way and walk across the bridge to their homes while the bridge is fully repaired if the plans go ahead.

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The bridge has since opened to pedestrians, but it is still causing difficulties for people in wheelchairs as huge concrete blocks are in place to stop any vehicles from crossing.

The council's handling of the situation in Forge Mews has again been criticised by residents after large bins were placed on the end of the street.

One resident found it "insulting" and said the move looked like the council were planning on going ahead with their plans despite objections from residents.

The bins have since been removed.