The A4061 Rhigos Mountain Road will be closed for five overnight work shifts from November 13-17 (9pm to 6am), for repair and maintenance work to the rock netting at the location of last year’s large wildfire.
The fire in August 2022 caused major damage to the hillside and to areas of wire netting, plastic netting and fencing. The road reopened after emergency works were carried out, and temporary traffic lights have remained in place to direct traffic away from the high-risk area of rock netting. A significant scheme to rectify the damage is being planned for construction on site in 2024/25.
The affected area is on the Rhigos side of the mountain route, and a detailed inspection of around 1,500-metres of the hillside was undertaken in June 2023 to help design the main repair scheme – which could take place next summer.
However, the inspection also identified several defects that need to be rectified sooner. The repairs will take place from Monday, November 13, to Friday, November 17 (9pm to 6am), subject to weather conditions. The work requires a full road closure to ensure safety, and has therefore been scheduled at night to minimise disruption. The work will end by 6am on Saturday, November 18.
Site activity will include removing an accumulation of large stones which have fallen from the rockface and collected in an area of mesh. The mesh is close to being at full capacity and needs to be cleared urgently as a matter of safety.
During the overnight road closures (November 13-17, 9pm to 6pm), an alternative route for motorists will be clearly signposted – via routes A4061, A465, A4059, A470, A4058 and A4061. Access through the road closure is unable to be maintained for emergency service vehicles nor pedestrians or cyclists.
A spokesperson for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said: “The Council’s recent inspection of the hillside affected by last summer’s wildfire has helped inform the ongoing design of next year’s major works scheme to rectify the damage. It was also made clear that the inspection could find issues that need addressing sooner than next year, and that is the case with an area of the rock netting which is close to capacity with large stones that have fallen.
“This area of concern is being rectified at the earliest opportunity, in the week commencing Monday, November 13 – and the full road closure that is required has been arranged at night-time to minimise the disruption to commuters. The remaining damage will be rectified in 2024/25, and the Council will provide further information about those works in due course.”
