£4m work on castle begins:
MAJOR PROJECT TO IMPROVE VISITOR ACCESS MEANS LONG ROAD CLOSURES THROUGH 2021
A£4M project to improve visitor access to Caernarfon Castle is now under way.
The project began on Monday with 190 tonnes of scaffolding being placed around the 25m tall King’s Gate towers.
Set for completion in early 2022, the project will see a new viewing deck installed on top of the gatehouse as well as accessible toilets, a cafe and a gift shop all within the castle walls.
Important conservation work on the surrounding towers will also take place to protect the medieval structures.
The project, which is one of the biggest in Cadw’s history, will see the surrounding road closed for a number of months.
The temporary closure will be in place on the road leading from the bottom of Castle Hill which runs around the castle and up to the junction with Castle Street. It will last until Easter next year when it will reopen for a couple of weeks before closing again until the school summer holiday.
A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “Substantial work is getting under way to improve access for visitors to the castle in Caernarfon. To enable this work, a temporary road closure will be in place for the road leading from the bottom of Castle Hill around the castle and up to the junction with Castle Street.
“Initially, this road closure will be in place until the Easter 2021 holidays with the road reopening for two weeks and then closing again until the summer school holidays when it will re-open. At the end of the school summer holiday, the road will be closed again until the work is completed towards the end of 2021.
“A diversionary route is in place, with signage installed to ensure all road users are aware of the temporary changes.
“The construction company carrying out the work on behalf of Cadw have been asked to inform those residents and businesses located directly near the temporary road closure, and discussions have been held between the contractor and businesses where delivery arrangements may be affected.
“It is expected that regular updates will be provided as the work progresses so that local residents and businesses are updated regarding the project.”