WORKERS in a Newport village say they are relieved a bridge is now back open after more than five months of work – but are angry about the effect it has had on their businesses.

Business owners and managers in St Brides say their custom dropped when the Pheasants overbridge, which connects Duffryn to St Brides, closed on November 5 last year due to Network Rail carrying out essential improvements.

The closure left people having to take a ten-mile diversion route compared to the usual two miles from Duffryn to St Brides over the bridge Since the bridge, which carries the B4239 Lighthouse Road, reopened on April 22, the workers say their custom has picked straight back up but they are still concerned about the impact the closure has had.

Sue Jones, who runs the Inn at the Elm Tree restaurant, St Brides, said her business is 40 per cent down.

Speaking about when the bridge first closed, she said: "For a while nobody came through the door.

"The day after the bridge reopened we were busy all day and night. Everybody was saying it was so nice to be back."

She added: "It’s definitely made an impact "I’m relieved the road is back open but wondering is it too late? Time will tell. I am angry. The business is suffering big time from it. I don’t know whether it will survive.

"Business will pick up but the damage has already been done."

Owner of the Lighthouse Inn, Sara Price said her business is at least a third down compared to this time last year.

She said: "When the bridge opened, businesses picked straight back up. There was no reason for it to be closed that long.

"I am relieved it is back open but absolutely furious they have been allowed to do it. All the residents in the area have had extra costs too with things such as travel. The whole thing has been chaos."

A spokesman for Network Rail said the overbridge had reopened four days earlier than planned.

He said: "The work to strengthen the bridge and to replace timber decking was complicated by the number of utility services which needed to be diverted and the time needed to undertake those diversions.

"To minimise the disruption faced by the local community, Network Rail arranged for additional bus services to supplement the scheduled bus service between Newport and St Brides."