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Repair works on the A4061 river bridge at Blackmill
Plans are underway to replace the main deck of the A4061 river bridge at Blackmill after routine checks by engineers revealed significant problems which, if not addressed quickly, could make the structure dangerous for drivers to use in the future.
The following information explains more about what has happened, what the council is doing about it, and how we will ensure the river bridge remains safe to use for generations to come.
This page will be regularly updated to help keep you informed.
FAQs
Routine checks on the A4061 river bridge at Blackmill have revealed significant problems with the structure.
Cracks have been detected in the main deck, and further repairs are urgently required beneath the bridge.
As it could pose a risk of failure if not addressed quickly, the council intends to replace the main deck entirely in order to ensure the bridge remains safe to use for generations to come.
This will represent a multi-million investment into new infrastructure.
The work is safety driven and constitutes emergency highways maintenance.
Other than removing the bridge entirely and requiring people to add miles onto their journeys by undertaking significant diversions via Rhondda Cynon Taf or Neath Port Talbot, engineers have advised that replacing the main deck and ensuring the bridge and the A4061 can continue to be used in its current form is the only viable option.
To reduce the load on the bridge, traffic was reduced to a single lane in March 2025 and temporary traffic lights put in place while engineers explored options for a permanent, longer-term solution.
As this is the main route in and out of the Ogmore Valley (plus it has links to Rhondda Cynon Taf and Neath Port Talbot), the temporary arrangements have caused unavoidable traffic congestion on both sides of the river bridge.
To mitigate this, the council is constantly monitoring and adjusting the temporary traffic lights to best suit peak and off-peak traffic flows.
The council has successfully bid for £3.5m of Welsh Government regional transport funding, and will ensure there is access to additional funding to ensure the work can proceed as quickly as possible.
The costs will be finalised following the completion of a tender exercise.
The replacement deck has been designed and all technical checks have been completed. Contract details are being prepared and will be issued in late May 2026 so that an appropriate contractor can be appointed to undertake the work.
Because essential gas and water supplies and telecommunication cables run beneath the river bridge, a temporary utilities bridge is being erected nearby.
Designs for how these services will be safely diverted have been completed, and the council is entering into a contract with utility companies and providers to enable this to go ahead so that there is no supply disruption for people living in communities throughout the Ogmore Valley.
Because the council is reliant upon service providers for elements of the delivery timetable, it is lobbying hard to secure these complex works as quickly as possible. The council is also liaising with Natural Resources Wales to mitigate any potential environmental impact from the works.
Once a contractor has been appointed, a full timetable will be confirmed.
The council anticipates that tenders will be returned by the end of June 2026 as contractors will need sufficient time to assess and consider the work as part of their bids.
Once all submitted tenders have been fully assessed, the council expects to award the contract by the end of July 2026.
A mobilisation period will then follow to enable traffic orders to be implemented and final liaison to take place with utility companies and other providers. The council is reliant on the cooperation of all utility companies to deliver the project.
While a start date has to be agreed with the contractor, the council anticipates that work to replace the bridge deck will begin in September 2026.
Yes – once the contract has been awarded, the council will work with the contractor to publicise the works and provide more details about timescales and how the work will be carried out, especially any phases that may affect highway users.
As part of this, the council and contractor will be engaging with residents, elected members, community councils and local businesses, and will keep neighbouring county borough councils informed so they can update residents within their own areas who may access the A4061 via the Bwlch mountain road.
This page will also be regularly updated whenever fresh information becomes available.
As a complex engineering project, the replacement cannot be carried out without causing a certain amount of inconvenience, but every effort will be made to keep disruption to an absolute minimum, and to complete the work as quickly as possible.
Once the new deck has been installed, the council’s priority will be to return traffic to normal and ensure that drivers can safely use the new bridge to enter or leave the Ogmore Valley.