Mountain road will be closed for two months
Valleys link to shut 24 hours a day:
REPAIRS to a major road connecting the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys will mean a two-month closure following a landslip that happened around 18 months ago.
The A4233 Maerdy Mountain Road, which connects Aberdare in the Cynon Valley with the village of Maerdy in Rhondda, was damaged on December 31, 2015, following 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.
Now Rhondda Cynon Taf council has said the work requires a full road closure, and will shut 24 hours a day from July 10, with it expected to open in September.
It comes just over a month after the nearby Rhigos Mountain Road shut for a shorter period over two consecutive summers.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, leader of the council and cabinet member with responsibility for highways, said: “Maerdy Mountain Road is a key route linking the Rhondda and Cynon valleys, and temporary traffic lights have been in place since the landslip.
“The full road closure will cause disruption to commuters but this essential piling work, with large machinery to stabilise the mountain, must be completed.
To minimise disruption, the work is scheduled after the school exam period, and six weeks of the closure is during the school summer holiday when it is envisaged that less traffic will be on the road.”
The council also said the work will include full road re-surfacing, repair and replacement of dry stone retaining walls and drainage improvements.
It said 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, new reflective roadstuds and measures to reduce the potential for standing water.
Coun Morgan added: “These works show that the council is committed to investing in and futureproofing its highways as a priority area in #RCTinvest.”
The council is working with Stagecoach, the operator of the 172 bus service to Porthcawl, which uses Maerdy Mountain Road. It will be diverted to Pontypridd and Porth, picking up the route in Tonypandy. The scheme will also fund a further bus from Maerdy to connect with the 172 bus at Tonypandy.
The local authority will also be liaising with school bus service operators that use the Maerdy Mountain route, and once the timings are agreed, parents of the pupils affected will be notified.
During the works, updates will be provided by the council through its social media accounts.