Bus service laid on as road closes for two months
THE Maerdy Mountain Road has closed for two months – and temporary bus services will be laid on to transport people between Aberdare and Porthcawl during the closure.
It’s set to affect everyone using the major road connecting the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys for almost the whole summer.
It closed on July 10 and will reopen in September, although the exact date is not yet known.
The closure follows a landslip on December 31, 2015 after a sustained period of rain.
It was damaged at the Aberdare end of the road and a month later, more wet weather caused its condition to worsen, leaving 150m of the road at risk.
A single-lane traffic light control over 200m has since been required in the area, to allow investigations and development of a plan to repair the road.
It comes just months after the nearby Rhigos Mountain Road shut for a shorter period of time over two consecutive summers.
Rhondda Cynon Taf council has said the works will require a 24-hour closure.
But the work is scheduled for the school summer holidays, when believed less traffic be on the road.
In addition, the A4061 – a main road running through the middle of the Rhondda – is set to close for two weeks next month.
That closure could also cause chaos, this time for those travelling between Treorchy and Treherbert, as around half a mile of the A4061 Ynyswen Road, used by thousands of motorists, will shut for a fortnight.
Rhondda Cynon Taf council has made arrangements with bus operator Stagecoach for the running of the 172 service between Aberdare and Porthcawl during the closure it is will of Maerdy Mountain Road.
Journeys on service 172 will continue to run between Maerdy and Porthcawl, with some timing changes.
These temporary changes will come into effect from July 10.
As well as that, a shuttle service, 172C, will operate to and from Aberdare Bus Station, connecting with the 172 service at Tonypandy Bus Station for journeys to and from Tonyrefail, Bridgend and Porthcawl, and Penrhys, Ferndale and Maerdy.
The council said departures from Aberdare Bus Station will be earlier and journey times will be increased. Both the 172 and 172C services, in both directions, will wait at Tonypandy Bus Station to ensure all connections are made.
Ticketing arrangements are in place to ensure customers will still pay the normal fares.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council and cabinet member with responsibility for highways, said: “The works at Maerdy Mountain Road are essential following the landslip in December 2015, and a full road closure is necessary due to large machinery being required to carry out the works. The council has also chosen to carry out further significant improvements to the carriageway through #RCTinvest.
“The worked council closely has with Stagecoach to ensure people who rely upon the 172 service can still access it during the Maerdy Mountain Road works.”
Additionally, as a result of a successful bid for Welsh Government Road Safety Funding Grant, the scheme will also include a range of improvements to the safety of the route such as hazard markings, road re-marking and new reflective roadstuds.