The New Road Aberbeeg

The New Road Aberbeeg.
A new road from the Square, over the railway lines to the lower part of Gold Tops at Aberbeeg had been proposed as early as the 1900’s. 

The old road and bridge was narrow and steep (as seen in the old image left). In the mid 1920’s it had been brought up again and this time the proposal was acted upon and the planning process was put in motion.

Foundation Tests.
In April 1926, the South Wales Gazette stated that foundation tests had been carried out and it was hoped that the construction would start in the following month.

Tenders Accepted.
On Monday 7th of June 1926, a special meeting of the council was held in connection with Aberbeeg Bridge and Approaches. A letter, dated Wednesday 26th of May 1926, was read stating that the Great Western Railway Company had accepted the tender of Mr J. M. Broadfoot with the contract price of £19,528. 19s. 4d. It was said that the work would be straight forward and this cost would not be exceeded.

The Commencement of Work.
On Friday 2nd of July 1926, work commenced on the new road at Aberbeeg*.

The Official Opening.
On Monday 20th of February 1928, the new stretch of road (as seen in the main featured image above) with the new bridge over the railway at Aberbeeg was officially opened.

The New Road.
The new road is 288 yards long with 43 yards of additional work carried out on adjoining roads. Its width is 20′ feet with an extra 6′ feet as a footpath. The old road was only 13′ feet wide. The new road has a gradient of about 1 in 13.5, which made travel easier as opposed to the old gradient of about 1 in 8. It was said motorists would see a great improvement. Mr Harrison gave a brief description of the work – Over 1,900 tons of earth and rock was removed, there were 18 piers and 19 arches of 20′ foot span. The foundations of the piers were 20′ feet below ground level. All pipework was not laid beneath the road as happened in many cases. Access to the high road was provided by means of three flights of steps, each ten-feet high. Forty skilled men worked on its construction as well as local labourers.

The total cost of the structure was £24,309, the cost to the ratepayers of the Abertillery area being only £2,704. The following sums having been contributed by other parties – The Ministry of Transport £14,500 (a 65 per cent grant). The County Council £5,000. The Great Western Railway £2,000. Messrs Webb’s Limited £105. The Great Western Railway Company gave land to the value of £300.

The New Bridge.
The two main girders on the bridge over the railway were 80′ feet and 84′ feet long, weighing 25 tons each. The new bridge is double the width of the old, having a span of 70′ foot and a width of 26′ feet between the girders with a total weight of 80 tons of metal as against about 12 and a half tons in the case of the old wrought iron bridge.

The Opening Ceremony.
Councillor S. Pask J.P., (Chairman) of the Abertillery Council opened the new road and bridge which had been constructed at Aberbeeg on the main road between Newport and Ebbw Vale. Mr Howell J. Davies (Vice-Chairman) of the Abertillery Council presided and was supported by the following – Major Sam Evans (Divisional Engineer of the Ministry of Transport); Alderman George Williams J.P., (Chairman) of the Monmouthshire County Council; Councillor W. J. Saddler (Chairman) of the Main Road and Bridges Committee; Mr S. A. Bennett (County Surveyor); Mr John Bain (County Architect); Mr John Williams (Surveyor) Abercarn Council; Mr Gordon Jones (Surveyor) Abertillery Council); Mr P. Knocks (Engineer) Ebbw Vale Company; Mr M. C. Harrison (Divisional Engineer) G.W.R.; Mr A. W. Hollingdale; Mr C. A. Harrison G.W.R.; Mr J. Dixon; Messrs W. E. K. Webb (Managing Director); W. E. Burgess (Secretary); O. B. Matthews and F. Pratt, representing Webb’s Breweries:

Mr J. M. Broadfoot presented Councillor Pask with a golden scissors with which to cut the ribbon which spanned the road.

The Contractor and for the New Road.
Mr J. M. Broadfoot of Maindee, Newport was general contractor. The steel work was done by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited of Chepstow. The engineers in charge were Mr M. C. Harrison (Divisional Engineer of the Great Western Railway) of Newport and Mr C. A. Harrison (Resident Engineer of the Great Western Railway) of Newport.

The Contractor and Architect for the New Bridge.
Mr A. K. Fraser and Co of Cardiff was responsible for the dismantling of the old bridge and the construction of the new bridge.

Stoppages to the Railway Service.
It was reported that the dismantling of the old bridge at Aberbeeg held up the railway services for only four-and-a-half hours and the construction of the new bridge held up services for only eight hours. All other work was carried out without any interference, with normal railway traffic. This was made possible by the excellent arrangements made by the contractors, acting in conjunction with Mr M. C. Harrison of Newport (Divisional Engineer) of the Great Western Railway Company.

The Dinner.
After the ceremony, officials from the Abertillery Council and those of the County Council and other prominent people connected with the scheme were entertained by the contractor to dinner at the Hanbury Hotel, Aberbeeg.

 

Points of Interest –
Work commenced on the new road at Aberbeeg on 2nd of July 1926 *. This was stated in the South Wales Gazette on Friday 24th of February 1928, in a report on the official opening.

Workforce Problems.
On Monday 30th of August 1926, a meeting of the Abertillery Council was held, at this meeting Mr W. F. Walters reminded the Council that it had been agreed that the necessary labour on the new road and bridge at Aberbeeg be provided through the Labour Exchange by genuine unemployed men. It had been observed that not only unemployed men had been employed on the scheme but also men that had been locked-out had been given work. The chairman stated that it was understood that the contractor should choose his own skilled labourers but the unskilled men were to be obtained through the Labour Exchanges. Mr Walters said the Labour Exchanges knew nothing of this arrangement, the discussion ceased and the chairman said the question would be looked into.

 

Source – The South Wales Gazette and the Western Mail.