Pwllypant roundabout work may go on until just before Christmas

A £5 million scheme to improve a key traffic route in the county borough may not be finished until just before Christmas.

Caerphilly County Borough Council said work at the Pwyllypant roundabout in Caerphilly may have to be carried out in the run-up to Christmas instead of finishing in October this year, as originally planned.

The council said it and its main contractor, Walters UK Ltd, had responded to concerns from the community over recent months and had agreed a “number of positive changes to the contract” to ease traffic congestion.

When work started on the improvement scheme in October last year motorists and businesses reacted angrily, with traffic grinding to a standstill. In response, the council changed the order of work to have the roundabout opened up to two lanes of traffic in the run-up to Christmas and again from March this year.

These changes, the council said, has led to the programme of work being extended. No firm end date has been decided on yet.

Deputy council leader Cllr Sean Morgan said: “We are currently working closely with the contractor to finalise a detailed work programme which will take us up to the completion of the scheme.

“We are fully aware of how important the pre-Christmas period is for local businesses, so for any works required during this period we are looking to ensure two lane operation is in place during the day to minimise any impact on the travelling public, shoppers and businesses.

“As soon the detailed programme is finalised in the coming weeks we will communicate this information to residents and the business community. We will also be considering measures to support businesses during the Christmas period.”

The roundabout is due to revert to a single lane in August to allow essential works to take place.

Meanwhile, a councillor has called for calm from motorists frustrated by the works.

Penyrheol councillor Steve Skivens, who represents Plaid Cymru, said: “The roadworks which are necessary to improve traffic volume at the roundabout have unwittingly led to a deterioration in driving behaviour.

“Bad driving and dangerous practices are being reported to me daily by residents and I’ve experienced and observed it. Nearly everyone I speak to on the matter has had a bad experience.

“This has resulted in increased minor accidents, near misses, and aggressive disputes between drivers and with pedestrians.

“People are also using residential side streets to try to avoid congestion. They are driving aggressively and not giving way and people are speeding unnecessarily.”

Cllr Steve Skivens added: “We are all trying to get somewhere by road but please don’t take risks and remember your journey is no more important than the person in the next vehicle.

“The road works are a protracted job and still creating new issues for motorists.

“What concerns me is that driving behaviour has changed for the worse.

“Things need to settle down or we will have a legacy when the works are completed which is an unwitting consequence and making our roads less safe for all.”