A POPULAR Powys walking route has been officially reopened – having been closed for well over four years.

The Devil’s Gulch, in the stunning Elan Valley, was closed for health and safety reasons following a rockfall in November 2018.

Locals have fought tooth and nail over the last four-and-a-half years to get the necessary work to repair the damage done, but have been left frustrated by delays, while the final repair bill is believed to have been over £1 million.

But Welsh Water, custodians of the Elan Valley estate, reopened the Devil’s Gulch on February 24, with the official opening taking place last Friday, March 17.

An official reopening of the beauty spot involved a ribbon cutting, conducted by Brecon and Radnorshire MP Fay Jones and Rhayader county councillor Angela Davies.

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“The Elan Valley is a stunning part of my constituency and I am grateful to Welsh Water for their work in reopening the Gulch,” said MP Ms Jones.

“I would very much encourage everyone to come and visit and see this work of engineering for themselves.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Welsh Water on attracting even more visitors to our beautiful area.”

READ MORE: Five great places for a walk in Powys

Councillor Davies added: “Rhayader is the ‘outdoors capital of Wales’ and the Elan Valley trail is one of our most popular routes for walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders.

“The reopening of the Devil’s Gulch ensures that locals and visitors of all ages and abilities can once again get out into countryside to enjoy the stunning Elan Valley scenery. I would like to thank everyone involved in making this happen.”

The route, which is popular with walkers and visitors to the Elan Valley, was reopened to the public after specialist Wales-based contractors Colin Jones Rock Engineering Ltd worked longer hours and weekends to get the job finished ahead of schedule.

Welsh Water confirmed the highly anticipated repair of the Devil’s Gulch was completed earlier than planned, after it was originally announced that work was set to be completed in March.

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Meanwhile, Welsh Water also revealed at the event plans to bring investment, create jobs and grow the Mid Wales economy with its bid for funding through the Mid Wales Growth Deal for the £20m Elan Valley Lakes project.

Plans include a redevelopment and extension of the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, including a planetarium, as well as an activity hub for water sports and events, a small-scale glamping site, upgrading footpaths, woodland conservation and connections to the hydro main ring.

Vicky Martin, Welsh Water’s head of visitor attraction strategy, said: “We are pleased to have been able to reopen this beauty spot so the trail can be enjoyed by local people and visitors once again.

“We want to thank Colin Jones Rock Engineering Ltd for their hard work, and we are grateful to the MP and county councillor for helping us to officially reopen the Gulch and to those who attended the event to help us celebrate.

“We would like to thank our customers and the community of Elan Valley for bearing with us while we completed this essential work, and we hope to further enhance the area with our plans for the Elan Valley Lakes project.”