Shropshire road bridge reopens 18 months after storm damage cut village in half

Repairs to a road bridge, damaged in a storm in November 2024, have finally come to an end.

Bronygarth Bridge near Weston Rhyn was set to reopen to traffic from 4pm on Friday following the completion of repair work.

The bridge was closed following Storm Bert in November 2024. Investigations later found that the upstream headwall of a private culvert had become completely buried under two metres of silt and stone debris.

Heavy rain and melting snow saw huge amounts of water - unable to pass through the culvert - flow around a nearby property and over a road, leading to the partial collapse of the bridge parapet and retaining wall.

The closure meant residents on one side of Bronygarth, near Oswestry, had to travel into Wales along a six-mile diversion if they wanted to get to the other side.

Shropshire Council said that repair work, which began in October 2025, has now been completed.

A spokesperson for Shropshire Council said: “We thank people for their patience, cooperation and understanding during the closure and the work period.”