A need to mend and upkeep bridges, including those of historical significance, has led a council to take on dedicated project managers.
The aim is that these specialists will assist with managing an extensive workload of construction and repair initiatives that saw schemes fail to finish during the previous fiscal year.
They will oversee numerous projects put forward by Monmouthshire County Council, which has recently come under fire for the prolonged shutdown of the protected Old Wye Bridge linking Chepstow to England.
The structure, constructed 210 years ago, welcomed back pedestrians in June after being shut since late March, although a prohibition on vehicles imposed in October persists. Council officials have cautioned that severe heat or cold could once more result in total closure of the bridge.
Funding for fresh one-time expenses or investments falls under the council’s capital budget, which reached £32.515 million for 2025/26.
However, due to demand and financial pressures the authority has also had to postpone 79 schemes worth £45.21 million into the next fiscal year, covering technology upgrades, building upkeep and major school renovations.
Debrah Hill-Howells, the council’s infrastructure chief, indicated the three new project managers should be operational by September.
As well as remedial work on the grade I-listed Old Wye Bridge, the council has sanctioned a two-year £5.5 million restoration of the 120-year-old grade II-listed Chainbridge spanning the Usk at Kemeys Commander and a £10 million scheme for a fresh pedestrian and cycling bridge connecting Llanfoist with Abergavenny.
According to Ms Hill-Howells, looking ahead, the infrastructure programme, given the challenges the council faces regarding bridges and structures, will remain a significant component of the capital programme. She explained that to address this challenge, three independent project managers are joining over the summer months, and by September three new officers should be in post who will then lead on major schemes including Llanfoist bridge, Old Wye Bridge, Chainbridge, and others.
She explained that staff are currently determining which ventures should be assigned to the specialist managers, as the council presently depends on external consultants for project management or internal designers and lead engineers.
Councillors were also informed that some slippage between financial years in the capital budget is standard practice, given that schemes are often planned across multiple years and various circumstances can affect completion.
The project managers will additionally be tasked with providing progress reports on the schemes.
Conservative member Alistair Neill, who chairs the performance and overview scrutiny committee, indicated that residents would welcome updates on remedial and restoration work. He noted that many local people and businesses have expressed that they simply lack information about what is occurring and when things are scheduled to happen.
The Gobion Fawr representative went on to say he believes Monmouthshire has more bridges than Venice, so this is not something that is likely to conclude anytime soon.
Councillor Neill had previously noted that the council had been informed that existing staff responsible for construction and repair work are swamped with correspondence, prompting the suggestion to potentially bring in project managers on a short-term basis.