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Tynygraig footbridge, which provides a vital pedestrian link over the Rhymney railway line in Llanbradach, will be replaced, a Welsh Government minister has promised.

The bridge was struck by a Caerphilly Skip Hire lorry at the end of May 2020 and it was later removed. Almost two years on, it has still not been replaced – despite promises of a temporary bridge.

This has led to scepticism from ward councillor Rob Gough over whether or not a permanent replacement would actually be built.

But answering a Senedd question posed by Caerphilly MS Hefin David, the Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters promised a new bridge would be built.

He said: “The bridge definitely will be replaced and we’re hoping it’ll be in place a year from now, between late March and April 2023.

“It has taken longer than expected. As Hefin David said, it was severely damaged by a lorry and then had to be torn down. The process that it’s had to go through, with a design bespoke for this particular location, has been complex, and obviously we’ve had Covid hit us at the same time.

“I apologise to the residents for the delays that they’ve had to put up with, but there’s every intention by Transport for Wales to replace this bridge.”

Speaking in the Senedd Dr David said: “Unfortunately, local elected members have made some mischievous comments suggesting that Transport for Wales have no intention of replacing that bridge. That’s not true.

“I’d like to say I’ve had a meeting with Transport for Wales and they’ve made it absolutely clear their intention to replace the bridge – that that will happen. However, the timescale is fairly long. They were going to introduce a temporary bridge, but that would interfere with the work required to introduce a permanent bridge, they’ve subsequently discovered, which is disappointing.”