20,000-name petition to keep Barmouth Bridge open to all

A campaign to keep a Gwynedd coastal bridge open to walkers and cyclists has seen over 20,600 people sign a petition to safeguard continued access.

Gwynedd council pays £30,800 annually towards Network Rail's maintenance costs for Barmouth Bridge railway viaduct, which has spanned the Mawddach estuary for 148 years.

But it could withdraw funding for the link between Barmouth to Fairbourne as it looks to make £9m in cuts next year.

It would mean a 16-mile (26km) detour.

Campaigner Amy Martin, who was brought up at nearby Llwyngwril, started the petition amid concerns the detour could put people off visiting the area.

"This spectacular route is a strategic link across the Mawddach estuary, and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding Cardigan Bay coastline and Cambrian mountains," she said.

Until 2013, 90p tolls were collected from users towards the maintenance of the Grade II-listed structure, which is largely wooden.

It is part of the Wales Coast Path which stretches 870 miles (1,400km) from the Dee estuary in Flintshire to Chepstow in the south east of Wales.

The council has identified over 100 cost-saving options worth £13m which will be the subject of a public consultation in the autumn before any final decisions are made.