DENBIGHSHIRE County Council is informing residents of the progress being made to replace the Llannerch Bridge which was washed away during Storm Christoph last year.

The bridge, which provided a crossing over the River Clwyd between Trefnant and Tremeirchion, and was used as a route to the A55, collapsed on January 21, 2021.

Residents have had to drive seven miles around the river since the storm. It is estimated that the bridge was used by around 1,600 vehicles a day as drivers avoided St Asaph en-route to the A55.

Following informal discussions with Natural Resources Wales and a period of public engagement in September and October 2021, Denbighshire County Council’s Cabinet met on November 23, 2021.

They resolved to support in principle the replacement of Llannerch Bridge, subject to the securing of necessary funding.

The Council is funding the initial cost of ground surveys and other specialist work which will then enable them to build a business case and bid for external funding to design and construct a replacement bridge.

Residents will see signs of activity at the Llannerch Bridge site in the near future as the specialist surveying and mapping work commences.

The Council will be publishing quarterly newsletters to keep residents informed of the latest activity, with the first newsletter being published in the coming weeks.

It is hoped that, subject to Covid restrictions, public meetings will be held later in the spring, giving residents the chance to discuss any questions or concerns.

Cllr Brian Jones, the Council’s Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “We would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding as we work to secure the best possible future for this complex site.

“We would also like to thank residents again for sharing their initial thoughts with us, the 750 responses we received during our public engagement exercise represent a significant proportion of the local population of Tremeirchion and Trefnant, meaning that we are confident that the information they have provided us is representative of those communities.

“Now that we have confirmed in principle that we will be seeking to replace Llannerch Bridge, we look forward to being in more regular contact with residents to keep them updated on this project as it progresses.”