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A road damaged by landslips and in need of repair will be subject to a “long-term road closure” for works to progress, the leader of Caerphilly Council has said. 

The A469 near Troedrhiwfuwch, which runs between New Tredegar and Pontlottyn, was affected by a landslip in 2014.

The road was then affected by ground movement in 2020 due to Storm Dennis and has been reduced to single-lane traffic ever since.

In a newsletter released in March, council leader Sean Morgan stated that while he appreciated that the issue was causing “major disruption”, it was a “complex issue” without a “quick or easy fix”. 

Cllr Morgan continued: “I want to be open and honest so that everyone is clear about the difficulty we are facing to put this matter right. 

“Residents also need to appreciate that, once a solution is agreed, there is likely to be a significant, long-term road closure required to enable works to progress.”

Cllr Morgan also promised that this is a “priority” and said the authority was working hard to find a way forward “as quickly as possible”. 

Welsh Government funding

In February 2023, the Welsh Government confirmed the road would be one of a select few that would be repaired after the Roads Review – which saw many road projects scrapped as they were not in line with Wales’ environmental strategies.

Caerphilly County Borough Council is the responsible highway authority for the work on the A469 and the scheme received Welsh Government grant funding through the Resilient Roads Fund.

The Welsh Government approved funding of £835,000 for “investigation work” and “preliminary design” options in 2023. 

In October 2023, Caerphilly Observer revealed that construction of the road was set to continue until 2026 – information we obtained from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. 

Repair timeline

According to the newsletter, work has been “progressing” since the grant was awarded, including various technical surveys and ground investigations. 

The council anticipates the stages of the repair will be as follows: 

April 2024 – The council expects to receive a full ground investigation report. Detailed monitoring of the site to continue. 

Summer 2024 – Preliminary design options are set to be available. Then a consultant, who will complete the detailed design, will be procured.

Early 2025 – A contractor will be procured around this time.

Late 2025/early 2026 – Construction, which is estimated to last between one and two years, will begin.