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A road damaged by landslips, long in need of repair, will be fixed, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

The A469 near Troedrhiwfuwch which runs between New Tredegar and Pontlottyn, was affected by a landslip in 2014 and then ground movement in 2020 due to Storm Dennis and has been reduced to single-lane traffic ever since.

The project is one of a small handful to survive a Welsh Government review into road building projects.

Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, Cllr Sean Morgan said: “This is a very positive step forward and I’m sure residents in the Upper Rhymney Valley will join me in thanking Welsh Government for their support to help tackle this long-standing issue.

“We will now seek clarity from Welsh Government about the funding being made available to enable us to move this much-needed project forward.”

Despite not posing a risk to road users, the road surface is affected by ground movement so a specialist contractor will need to be found to complete the construction – this means that the traffic lights will stay in place for the time being.

Cllr Morgan added: “The site will be subject to ongoing monitoring to ensure that the road remains safe for highway users.

“The council’s cabinet will consider a report in due course regarding funding and timescales and we will keep the community informed and updated. I would like to assure everyone that these works are a key priority and they will be progressed at pace.”

Councillors “relieved” by the news

Cllr Mansel Powell who represents Moriah and Pontlottyn told Caerphilly Observer he was “relieved” about the decision. 

Cllr Powell said the next step was for a timeline to be discussed and approved. 

Dawn Bowden MS, Member of the Senedd for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney wrote in a Facebook post: “I am really pleased to see that the Welsh Government Roads Review approves A469 improvements at Troedrhiwfuwch.

“This is great news for constituents who regularly commute on the road in the local area!”

Cllr Carl Cuss who represents Twyn Carno said: “I’m just really pleased,” adding that the funding will have a knock-on effect on constituents in his ward. “It does affect the Upper Rhymney valley.”

This comes after Cllr Cuss criticised the length of time the repairs had taken in light of Caerphilly town being awarded £20 million for a new leisure centre from the UK Government’s levelling up fund. 

Cllr Cuss added that he understood that Caerphilly County Borough Council had been “working in the background” on the issue for quite some time and said: “The council are ready to go.”

“Some positive news,” Cllr Cuss added, “long may it continue.” 

What does the Future of Road Investment in Wales say?

The Welsh Government review was announced by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters in June 2021 freezing all road building projects.

An independent panel was then created and tasked with reviewing the projects considered part of the review.

The panel recommended A469 improvements. Its report stated: “The Panel considers that there is a case for the scheme, in order for the A469 at this location to remain operational in a manner that is safe and reliable, and to minimise maintenance costs from potential future structural failure.”

Improvements to the roads were considered preferable to diverting traffic from the area as this would be more expensive and have a greater impact on the environment – the latter an important consideration for the panel. 

This comes as the Welsh Government announced that many of the road schemes in the country would be scrapped as they were not in line with Wales Transport Strategy in March 2021, the Programme for Government in July 2021, and Net Zero Wales in October 2021. 

The report states that climate change and the nature emergency formed the “backdrop” to their discussions and said: “Our terms of reference make clear that in future, Welsh Government will avoid action that increases carbon emissions from constructing, operating, maintaining, and expanding the road network, especially in the next 15 years when most vehicles in use will be powered by fossil fuels.”

The report is a change in policy direction for the Welsh Government. Future road building projects now have to meet four key tests. There are:

• Reduce carbon emissions and support a shift to public transport, walking and cycling.
• Improve safety through small-scale change.
• Help the Welsh Government adapt to the impacts of climate change.
• Provide connections to jobs and areas of economic activity in a way that maximises the use of public transport, walking and cycling.