THE Re-opening a popular Wye Valley footbridge that links the Forest of Dean with Herefordshire will cost more than £3 million, council chiefs in Gloucestershire estimate.

The Black Bridge, also known as Stowfield Viaduct located between Lydbrook and Welsh Bicknor and crosses over the River Wye, is a vital part of the 136-mile Wye Valley Walk, which sees tens of thousands of people using the route each year.

However, the former Ross and Monmouth Railway bridge has faced years of closures over the last ten years and was most recently closed in 2024 due to concerns the decking was in extremely poor condition and would represent a danger to life if public access was maintained.

Gloucestershire County Council said at the time they were ‘working as swiftly as possible to repair the damaged decking and to reopen the bridge’.

However, frustrated by two years of inaction, villagers from both counties turned out in force in March this year to demand the repair and reopening of the walkway.

Then in April a public notice was issued officially announcing its temporary closure “to safeguard the health and safety of the public due to a fallen tree and damage caused to the bridge”.

A six-month extension was issued for the closure “because the works are still ongoing”, the notice reads.

Shire Hall chiefs in Gloucestershire said earlier that same month that a temporary fix to install new scaffolding for a further five years would cost an eye-watering £600,000 due to the complex and historic nature of the bridge.

They said their initial plans would be to retain the current structure. However, a new bridge is an option that may be considered to provide a more sustainable structure in keeping with the surrounding area.

Temporary scaffolding had been in place at the bridge since 2018. But this has since been removed along with the decking.