Permission granted for new bridge over the Montgomery Canal

Planning permission has been granted for a new bridge to help unlock navigation along the Montgomery Canal.

Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal & River Trust in Wales, has been granted permission to construct a new road bridge over the canal as part of UK government-funded restoration works.

The construction of Carreghofa Lane Bridge and a new road has been approved by Powys County Council as part of the next major step forward for the restoration of a four-mile section of the canal between Llanymynech and Maerdy.

The new bridge will replace an earth causeway which severed the canal back in the 1960s when the canal was filled in for the the construction of Carreghofa Lane.

Replacing the causeway with the new bridge is an important step forward in once again bringing boats back to the centuries-old canal.

Work is expected to take nine months and is due to begin in April. In advance of the main works and the bird nesting season, vegetation has been removed, including some trees and hedges

Towpath 

Richard Harrison, principal project manager at Glandŵr Cymru, said: “We are delighted that planning permission has been granted for the construction of Carreghofa Lane Bridge. It’s another significant step forward in our work to restore this historic manmade waterway as we look to secure its future for coming generations.

“The bridge and new road are expected to be completed and open to road users in the early part of 2026 and will also provide safe access to pedestrians to pass under the bridge. The work will also involve a short realignment to the canal towpath running under the new bridge.

“This project is the next stage in the UK government funded restoration with future projects well underway that include plans for future bridge construction and the introduction of new wetland reserves to further enhance the biodiversity of the canal.”

‘Benefits’

John Dodwell, chair of the Montgomery Canal Partnership, added: “This is a welcome step forward in the plans to restore the beautiful and historic Montgomery Canal which will bring so many benefits to the area. We know the canal has a special ecological status and the restoration is proceeding in accordance with an agreed Conservation Management Strategy which includes new nature reserves.”

As part of preparation works for the new bridge, Glandŵr Cymru has worked with Border Archaeology to conduct an archaeological dig on the site as the area has a history that stretches back to the Bronze Age when people had settled in the area near Llanymynech Hill.

Discover more about the restoration project online at canalrivertrust.org.uk, where you can also find out about donating or volunteering to the work of Glandŵr Cymru.