Pont Briwet

Pont Briwet (1)
The previous Victorian Pont Briwet; looking south towards Llandecwyn
Coordinates	52°55′27″N 4°03′21″W / 52.9242°N 4.0557°W / 52.9242; -4.0557
Carries	Cambrian Coast railway and A4085 (toll)
Crosses	River Dwyryd
Locale	Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd North Wales
Owner	Private
Maintained by	Network Rail
Heritage status	Grade II listed (formerly)
Characteristics
Pier construction	Wood, iron bracing
Total length	140 m (460 ft)
Width	Standard gauge (4 foot 8½ inch) railway track 10 feet (3.0 m) roadway
Height	4 m (13 ft)
Piers in water	21
Load limit	2 t (2.2 tons) (vehicles)
Design life	rebuild GWR (1932)
History
Constructed by	Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
Opened	1867
Closed	2013
Location

Pont Briwet refers to the road and railway bridges that cross the River Dwyryd, near Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd in North Wales. The first bridge was a Victorian road and railway viaduct that was constructed entirely from timber by the Cambrian Railways company.^[1] Although it was recognised as being a Grade II listed structure, a result of it being an increasingly rare example of a surviving 19th-century wooden road and railway viaduct, the condition of the bridge had deteriorated over time and by the 21st century was posing regular and considerable inconvenience to both road and rail traffic.

Due to the operational impact of the old bridge, it was decided to build a replacement structure alongside as a joint project between the Welsh government and national rail infrastructure company Network Rail to upgrade the route. Despite plans to retain the old bridge for pedestrian traffic, it was determined that it had been further weakened and rendered structurally unsafe by the piling performed to establish the new bridge's foundations, resulting in its immediate closure in December 2013 and its demolition during the following year.

The new Pont Briwet crosses the Dwyryd on the same alignment as the original structure but it is both stronger and wider to accommodate larger vehicles and traffic volume. It also accommodates a combined cycle path and pedestrian walkway, as well as carrying multiple utilities, such as water and electricity, across its structure. Progress on the new bridge's construction was subject to several delays, the impact of which having been compounded by the necessity of the old structure's closure prior to its completion. It was initially opened only to rail traffic during September 2014; during July 2015, the new bridge was opened to road traffic as well.