Brunel was the engineer of the Taff Vale Railway which in 1841 opened a single track standard gauge railway from Merthyr to Cardiff. This was the first proper railway in South Wales. At Pontypridd the river Rhondda joins the Taff and Brunel was faced with the challenge of building an arch wide enough to bridge both a road and a river. The result is a skewed eliptical arch with a span of 33m (110 ft.).
When the track was doubled, Brunel was not involved. His successor apparently felt unable to emulate the original and built a twin arch bridge adjacent to it. This provides an interesting contrast with the daring of Brunel.
By road: The A4058 from Pontpridd to Rhondda goes under the bridge.
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Forgotten Relics - Listed Bridges and Viaducts
