Town centre's new beginning (From Free Press Series)

Town centre's new beginning

LITTLE Bethany Trotter and her classmate Joseph Ruck, the youngest pupils at Overmonnow Primary school, cut the ceremonial ribbon for the grand opening of the new Monnow Bridge.

The four-year-olds joined residents and civic leaders for the formal ceremony on Monday, which saw the bridge open to traffic for the first time.

The celebration marked the end of a very long wait for the people of Monmouth. The town has waited more than 70 years for a new bridge and endured just under a year of construction work.

Within 20-minutes of the new bridge opening, the old Monnow Bridge closed to traffic and once again became the domain of pedestrians walking in and out of the town centre. A buffet and formal presentations were then held at the Shire Hall.

Councillors and officers who attended the event said the new bridge, together with the restoration of the old bridge, would bring economic growth and prosperity to the town. The new bridge scheme has also been a success story for the contractors, Costain and Capita Gwent.

Cllr Colin White, chairman of the council, said: "It has been an honour to be part of this historical occasion, one which will not be forgotten for a very long time and I hope Bethany and Joseph will also treasure it in their memories."

He said the historical town of Monmouth could now list the old Monnow Bridge as a footbridge rather than cursing it as one of the biggest bottle necks in the county.

He said: "The new bridge represents a real investment in the future of both the county and the town and hopefully it will allow an influx of tourism into both of the above, as tourism is one of our biggest industries.

"I hope people will soon learn this is an easy town to drive to and sample the delights of the beautiful Wye Valley."

Cllr David Waring, leader of Monmouthshire council, said Monmouth was a town attracting business and investment from companies such as Waitrose and John Lewis.

He said: "Monday, March 15, 2004, marks a new beginning for Monmouth that will bring fresh hope, fresh opportunities and fresh investment into the town."

Special plates were commissioned by the council to mark the occasion and were given to civic and community leaders.

David Jenkins from Costain said the new bridge had been a successful project and praised the tremendous effort made by the Monmouth community.

He said: "We hope the bridge design will mellow and match the bridge beside it and add to the appearance of Monmouth."