RCT Council has appointed a contractor to deliver a major Welsh Government-funded scheme on the A4059 between Asda and Tinney’s roundabouts in Aberdare – to ensure the road is more resilient during heavy rainfall.
The £500,000 scheme is wholly funded by Welsh Government’s Resilient Roads Grant, and is targeted across a 400m section of the road adjacent to the River Cynon which is historically susceptible to flooding over the last thirty years.
The works area will be from north of the informal pedestrian crossing between Glancynon Terrace and the Ynys fields, to the footbridge nearest Asda roundabout.
The scheme will involve raising the level and profile of the carriageway, the removal of kerbs and the introduction of shallow swales alongside the road. The work is aimed at making the carriageway less likely to flood, and if it does flood, ensuring that water disperses from the highway more quickly.
The Council has appointed Centregreat as the contractor to deliver this scheme. Work is due to start on site in the week commencing Monday, March 15, lasting up to eight weeks. The majority of the work will take place in the daytime, and the road will remain open during these periods – with a 30mph speed limit put in place to ensure the safety of motorists and workers.
Elements of the scheme requiring temporary traffic signals or road closures will be programmed for night working, to minimise disruption. Any full road closures that are required will be communicated by the Council in advance.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Highways and Transportation, said: “The Council has secured significant half-a-million pound funding from Welsh Government to deliver this important scheme.
“Storm events are becoming more regular due to climate change, and this stretch of the A4059 near Aberdare town centre and since the late 1990s, this road has been subject to periodic flooding, with the River Cynon in close proximity. It recently flooded in the early hours during the recent Amber warning on February 20th, and remained closed until around midday.
“While it is very difficult to prevent flooding at this location during very heavy rainfall, this work will contribute to flood alleviation – but its main intention is to ensure the road is more resilient in flood events.
“Important funding has been welcomed from the Resilient Roads grant for a number of schemes in recent months. In June 2020, the Council secured £3m from this avenue of Welsh Government support, to fund highway drainage schemes at 16 locations in the Rhondda and Cynon valleys – and notable works to date have included the Porth Relief Road at Ynyshir last summer and the A4059 between Penywaun and Trecynon, which started in the New Year.”
The Council is giving advanced warning of the upcoming work on the A4059 near Aberdare. Road users are advised that a 30mph speed limit will be in force throughout the scheme, while traffic management and road closures will be required overnight to minimise disruption.
The Council will work with its contractor to ensure the scheme is completed as quickly as possible, and will communicate arrangements for any night working once they are confirmed.
