'Better than Netflix' - people watch on as rows erupt on infamous 'Swearing Bridge'

North Wales Live

2 days ago

For best views of the action, locals recommend the Tu Hunt i'r Bont tearoom or the Eagles beer garden. From here, there's a reasonable chance of seeing a 'hilarious' row erupting on Llanrwst's 17th Century bridge over the Afon Conwy.
For as long as anyone can remember, High Noon showdowns have been taking place on the apex of a humpback bridge that's a Welsh icon. When drivers approach the single-lane bridge, there's no way of knowing if a vehicle is also crossing from the opposite direction.
A recent video shared online showed the inevitable outcome: two motorists gesticulating, each insisting they have right of way. A few hours later, an almost identical scenario played out, this time involving a truck and a queue of cars.
Some residents shake their heads sadly, others draw up their seats and watch the unfolding dramas. 'Who needs Netflix...?' noted one man online. Another added: 'We used to sit on the bridge watching them argue, it was fun!'
Impasses on Pont Fawr bridge are part of local folklore – so much so that it's been dubbed Pont y Rhegi (The Swearing Bridge). One celebrated individual used to arbitrate disputes and for a while the bad language dissipated.
Attempts to find a solution have done little to ease the problems. Sensors embedded in the bridge asphalt near the A470 trigger a flashing amber light on the other side of the bridge, warning oncoming drivers to stop. But by then it's often too late: two or more drivers are trundling towards each other en route to yet another Mexican stand-off.
Regular users have long lived by the rule of 'first to the top wins' – first to the apex has the right of way and the other motorist must reverse off the bridge. 'I've reversed 6 times in a row before now,' sighed a local woman. 'Saves arguments.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
It's not a perfect system and increasing numbers of tourists not familiar with the local rule means the number of stand-offs is on the rise. There are other issues too: as well as endangering pedestrians on the bridge, drivers reversing onto the A470 are contravening Highway Code rule 201, which advises motorists not to back up onto main roads.
Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders has asked the Welsh Government to intervene on 'numerous occasions'. 'Our understanding is that Conwy Council was working with the Welsh Government to find solutions for the A470 side of the bridge,' said a spokesperson for her office.
'But in the last 12 months we've heard nothing, so Janet will be raising further questions in the hope of reducing the risk of bridge stand-offs in the future.'
A joint project between local and national government was announced in February 2024 by Lee Waters, the former deputy minister for climate change. Its main aim was to assess new A470 and pavement markings to prevent turning vehicles from scraping the bridge parapet.
The study, which would also examine traffic priorities, was 'subject to prioritisation and funding'.
Former Llanrwst mayor Cllr Mostyn Jones, now chair of the town's finance committee, would prefer a solution involving three-way traffic lights – one on the Trefriw side, the other two on the A470.
The latter pair would need to be sited so as to give sufficient room for traffic turning on and off the bridge. It follows years of bridge strikes by long-axis vehicles: the most recent involved a coach said to have sent mortar tumbling into the river last week.
Worried about constant repairs to a listed structure and a scheduled ancient monument, Cllr Jones has been lobbying heritage body Cadw for action. While Pont Fawr's 18-stone limit can accommodate two-axle HGVs and coaches, its narrow nature means slight misjudgements can have serious impacts.
'For the last two or three years I've been complaining to Cadw about the poor state of the bridge,' he said. 'With the high volume of traffic now seen in the Conwy Valley, a sustainable solution needs to be found urgently.
'Pedestrians use the bridge and we've seen that funding can be sourced for active travel schemes. A list of potential ideas must be drawn up and put out for public consultation.'
Booming tourism in Eryri has brought more traffic into the Conwy Valley and its road infrastructure can struggle to cope. Notoriously, all four river crossings between Conwy town and Betws-y-Coed involve either single-lane bridges (Pont Fawr and Pont-y-Pair) or single-lane approaches (Talycafn and the Conwy town wall arch).
'There needs to be a more strategic approach to getting traffic across the river from the west side of the valley,' added Cllr Jones.