A footbridge linking Wales and England has been shut to walkers without delay, half a year after motorised transport was first barred from the crossing.

Surveys conducted recently have revealed additional fractures in the 210-year-old, grade I-protected steel-arched Old Wye Bridge, which spans from Bridge Street in Chepstow across to Castleford Hill on the far side of the River Wye.

Teams from Monmouthshire County Council’s highways division have been deployed to secure the shutdown commencing Friday evening, March 27.

The structure was barricaded to cars and lorries last October when inspectors spotted damage to one of its supporting columns. Monmouthshire County Council indicated at that juncture that the single-carriageway crossing might remain inaccessible for as long as a year and a half.

Authorities have now escalated precautions by barring all passage following emergence of multiple fresh fissures throughout the cast-iron construction. Specialist engineers have determined these defects create unacceptable danger for those walking across.

The shutdown has compounded existing travel frustrations for local commuters. Council representatives emphasised that technical assessments support prohibiting all use of the bridge immediately on safety grounds.

The authority added it would maintain collaboration with engineers to explore viable remedies.