Pontypridd's 148-year-old Victoria Bridge fully reopens

Victoria Bridge is behind the William Edwards Bridge

One of Pontypridd's oldest and busiest road bridges has reopened to two-way traffic after a £1m refurbishment.

The 148-year-old structure, which crosses the River Taff next to the town's William Edwards Bridge, has undergone essential strengthening work.

Victoria Bridge carries the A4223 over the river and is one of the main routes that link Pontypridd and the Rhondda Valleys to the A470.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council said it would be open from 12:00 GMT on Sunday.

Work started on the bridge last April and a temporary one-way traffic system was put in place.

Bridge's history

Victoria Bridge was opened a century after Pontypridd's iconic William Edwards Bridge, which dates back to 1756.

The bridge was needed to accommodate the growing horse-drawn traffic in Pontypridd which had developed into a large market town for the south Wales valleys.

Through public subscription the work began in 1856 to build a new three-arched bridge, named in honour of Queen Victoria.

Further maintenance work on the bridge took place in 1959 with the widening of the carriageway.