CONTRACTORS whose work on one of Chepstow’s most prized cultural assets overran had to pay councils £18,000 for the delays.

Work finally started on the Old Wye Bridge on April 13 last year, ten months after Monmouthshire council said it was supposed to start.

It took 18 weeks longer than anticipated, finishing in mid-December 2015, and Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd paid £9,000 to each authority - a charge of £200 a day.

Alun Griffiths, supervised by WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff, said their work was delayed because of inclement weather and scaffolding taking longer than expected to put up aside the bridge.

Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire councils initially each paid half of £715,544.40 renovating it because the bridge is located in both counties but Monmouthshire led on the project.

The bridge was built over 1815 and 1816 and was officially opened in July 1816. Bicentenary celebrations, including a possible firework display, are being planned for over the summer.

Chepstow councillor Armand Watts criticised Monmouthshire council for allegedly being unclear about the money they were trying to get back from the contractors.

He said: “They need to be honest about it and say: ‘This is not the job they set out to do.’ In a couple of years [contractors] might be back again to do more work.”

When the contractors finished work in December, some painting of the bridge’s parapet handrails still had to be finished. Other work was completed last month.

When it was first opened on July 24, 1816, the Old Wye Bridge was the third largest iron arch road bridge ever built.

An Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd spokesman said: "The charges are an interim sum pending a final review concerning tides and other circumstances regarding the refurbishment."