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The new visitor centre at Newport’s famous Transporter Bridge may not open until the end of 2026, after parts of the structure were found “in a worse condition than expected at the start of the project”.

The bridge, built in 1906, is undergoing extensive repairs and renovations, and once those works are complete it will be complemented by a new multimillion-pound visitor centre.

More than 600 people have visited the centre on pre-arranged tours since February, but the “challenging” nature of the repairs to the bridge overhead means a full opening of the visitor centre is not possible.

A council report describes the repairs as “progressing” but notes the work is taking place “at height [and] over water”.

The Grade-I listed bridge is also “sensitive to extremes of weather” and its condition in parts was worse than originally anticipated, the report adds.

In the summer, the council estimated the project would be completed sometime between October and December of this year – but the latest report has pushed back that expected completion date to December 31, 2026.

The full opening of the new visitor centre will not take place until the bridge repairs are completed, a council spokesperson has confirmed.

In November, the council said “significant progress” has been made on those works, which involves repairing and repainting 80% of the bridge’s boom, as well as inspecting and replacing more than 75% of the pins which hold the structure together.

Meanwhile, the bridge gondola has been restored with new gates and cables, and will transport vehicles and passengers across the River Usk when the project is finished.

At the time, the council said the “complex” works were “taking longer than anticipated” – and the latest report urges patience, given the bridge’s protected status.

“As a Grade-I listed structure, it is important that the bridge is appropriately refurbished to ensure that it remains an iconic symbol of the city and once again carries people and vehicles across the river,” the local authority said.

At a council scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday December 9, members heard the project is “progressing”.

The repairs and visitor centre are funded by the council, UK and Welsh governments, Wolfson Foundation and the National Lottery Heritage Fund; and is supported by the voluntary group the Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge.