Party on the Bridge (From Free Press Series)

Party on the Bridge

FORGET Party in the Park or even Party at the Palace for Monmouth is to have its own Party on the Bridge.

On Sunday, March 14, an event is being organised to commemorate the opening of the new Monnow Bridge with local people taking part in a 'celebration of a moment in time' . This is an informal event that starts at 12 noon and community groups are being invited to form a procession over the bridge and to have a picnic on the Chippenham Green.

Banners for the procession, which can be decorated by local organisations, are available from the One Stop Shop in Priory Street. Traders and local organisations from Monmouth are also assembling stalls on the green to help make it a truly community event.

Jenny Lewis, Monmouthshire County Council's area manager, said: "Anybody is welcome to take part to declare the bridge open themselves by just turning up on the day.

"It's a gesture to the people of the town who have had to suffer over recent months while the construction work has taken place."

Traders in the town centre are also taking part in the celebrations in a quiz all about bridges. Clues as to the answers will be revealed in shop windows during the weekend of March 13 - 14 with big prizes available for the winners.

The formal opening of the bridge will take place on Monday morning and will be opened to traffic from 1pm.

At the same time the mediaeval bridge will be closed to all through traffic.

The anticipated official opening of the bridge by HRH The Princess Royal will no longer be taking place. Princess Anne said in a letter to Simon Boyle, the Lord Lieutenant of Gwent, that her commitments prevented her performing the opening ceremony in the spring, but would still like to visit the Monmouth and the new bridge later in the year.

As soon as the old bridge is closed to traffic, an archaeological will be undertaken to see what is under the tarmac.

All the modern signage from the ancient building will be removed and the guttering on the building repositioned.

The county council have appointed a project team to oversee the pedestrianisation and regeneration of the old bridge and have already been sourcing local stone for rolled aggregate for the new surface of the road.

The regeneration of the area will be completed through Article 33 match funding with the county council.

An exhibition on both the Monnow Bridges is currently running at Monmouth Museum.