But the work will mean that walkers and cyclists coming from Tintern won’t be able to access the 1km Wye Valley greenway railway tunnel, which has just reopened for Spring, without a 2.5-mile detour to Brockweir while the nine-month project takes place.
The Tintern Wireworks Bridge, which has starred in the Netflix smash hit series and forms part of the 136-mile Wye Valley Walk, links the Forest of Dean to Monmouthshire.
It is in poor condition and in need of significant repairs, say council officers, with recent assessments finding that it does not have the required capacity for pedestrian loading, or for the three-tonne vehicle requirement due to “severe localised corrosion”.
Joint owners - Gloucestershire County Council and Monmouthshire Council - have now identified funding to progress repair works estimated to cost about £1.5 million.
And works to strengthen the bridge, which include changing the load path and replacing existing timber planks, have been outlined in a planning application.
The repairs are aimed at protecting the bridge’s long-term future and making maintenance easier, while safety hazards will also be eliminated with a flat surface introduced for pedestrians.
The bridge has been closed to motor traffic since last summer, sparking a 1,000-name petition calling for its reopening launched by a farming family on the Forest side of the river who were blocked from crossing.
The Simpson family of Ferry Farm on the English bank of the Wye protested that they had been “completely cut-off” by the vehicle closure, which saw concrete bollards installed.
Caroline Simpson said: “The bridge has got so much history attached to it and it’s our only access to our land. Now we are unable to get to our land - we’re cut off.”
The renovation application says the scheme will see “minimal change” to the bridge’s appearance.
Built in 1876 in sight of the Abbey to link the wireworks in Tintern to the Wye Valley railway line on the English bank, it was used by engines until 1901 when it was left to horses for the village sawmills and turnery works.
Since then it has served walkers and cyclists heading to the Devil’s Pulpit lookout and along the riverside to Brockweir, and most recently has made several appearances in Sex Education as Otis and Eric make their way to school.