Newport City Council has announced the opening of a new active travel bridge at Newport railway station to the public, which connects the city centre to Devon Place.
The bridge was opened this morning by Cllr Jane Mudd, leader of Newport City Council, Cllr Martyn Kellaway, mayor of Newport, and Lee Waters MS, deputy minister for climate change at the Welsh Government.
The new structure serves as a replacement for the previous subway and is intended to provide locals and visitors with a more accessible link to the main railway line.
What’s more, the bridge has also been constructed with active travel in mind. Design features include accessibility for wheelchair users, cyclists and walkers.
Other additions include improved paving around the transport hub and sustainable drainage features that capture rainwater and divert it to newly-installed planters.
The new bridge was funded through the Welsh government’s active travel fund.
Lee Waters, deputy minister for climate change with responsibility for transport, said: “We want to encourage more people to make local journeys by bike and on foot, and making it easier to travel actively is key to that.
“It’s great to see this bridge finally open, it will open up a new route across the city and make it more convenient to walk and cycle around Newport”.
Miriam Wright, sponsor at Network Rail, said: “It has been a real privilege to be the interface between Network Rail and Newport City Council for a scheme which has delivered such tangible benefits to the people of Newport.
“We’ve ensured the continued safe running of the railway and retained seamless journeys for our passengers all while working with the council to deliver such a fantastic project.
Some of the challenges to overcome during construction included working over an electrified railway line, working under the station and in the old subway
The council led the project, in partnership with Network Rail and Transport for Wales.
