CHEPSTOW’s Old Wye Bridge is set to re-open to vehicles next week.

Monmouthshire council said contractors are hoping to complete the works by Tuesday after a catalogue of delays to the project.

The work started on May 5 and was due to take 15 weeks to finish but following delays the completion date was pushed from August to December. The Free Press has previously reported that the work was delayed until early December.

The county council said the revision of the date was due to recent severe weather.

A budget of £715,000 has been shelled out equally by Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire councils after the budget for the works were increased from £500,000.

The work includes essential repairs and maintenance painting of the bridge. Other work includes replacement of sheared bolts, design and stitch repairs to cracked cast iron members, corroded rivets and mild steel box beam plates.

The bridge repairs were originally planned to start in the summer of last year but were delayed several times.

Scaffolding surrounding the bridge is currently being removed and weather permitting, painting work is expected to finish today (WED) although the painting of some handrails will not be completed this side of Christmas.

Chepstow Mayor, Councillor Dale Rooke said: “We were very pleased with the progress made on a difficult job of maintaining the 200 year-old iron work and look forward to celebrating the bridge during its bicentenary year. The whole structure looks impressive.”

County Councillor Bryan Jones, cabinet member with responsibility for highways said: “This much-loved and attractive bridge has connected two communities, two counties and two countries for nearly two hundred years. “

“I’m sure that Chepstow, the surrounding area and indeed the whole of Monmouthshire will enthusiastically embrace its bi-centenary celebrations next year.”

The town is set to celebrate the bridge's bicentenary in the summer. It was opened on July 24, 1816, and was the third largest iron arch road ever built.