RCT Council will begin necessary work to stabilise the embankment next to a section of Llwyncelyn Road in Porth – a significant scheme which requires traffic to be reduced to one direction only, to ensure safety.
The works area is a 170-metre length of embankment adjacent to B4278 Llwyncelyn Road, located between the Pontypridd Road and Leslie Terrace junctions. The embankment is slowly slipping and causing damage to the short wall next to the pavement – while during periods of rainfall, groundwater not captured by the drainage channel begins to collect on the footway below.
The upcoming scheme will construct a capping beam on top of the wall, which will be anchored and nailed – with works starting on Monday, February 14. The work, which is scheduled for completion in April 2022, is being funded by an allocation earmarked for infrastructure repairs following Storm Dennis.
Traffic management is required in order to safely carry out the work – which will reduce this section of Llwyncelyn Road (between Pontypridd Road and Leslie Terrace) to a one-way direction of travel only. Travelling in a north-western direction (towards Pontypridd Road) will continue as normal. Traffic in the opposite direction, from North Road, will be diverted via Pontypridd Road, Eirw Road, A4058 (Porth Relief Road) and Llwyncelyn Road.
As a result of the works, the southbound bus stops at Llwyncelyn Hotel and the fire station will be taken out of use. Passengers should use the nearby stops at Mary Street, a temporary bus stop after 63 North Road, Morrisons or Eirw Road.
All southbound bus services that normally use Llwyncelyn Road will follow the diversionary route via Eirw Road. Thomas of Rhondda’s Service 133 (Wattstown to Llwyncelyn) will then turn at the Trehafod Bypass Roundabout, travel over Britannia Bridge, and operate via Llwyncelyn Road, Leslie Terrace, Primrose Terrace before then following its normal route back to Porth.
All northbound services will continue to operate via Llwyncelyn Road unchanged.
The Council’s contractor Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd also requires a series of night-time closures in the first week, from 8pm to 7am. The first closure starts on the evening of February 14, ending the following morning. Traffic will be diverted via the same route as above, in both directions.
The Council undertook a public consultation from December 1, 2021, to inform residents about the scheme and to receive feedback. The process outlined that the work to the embankment requires the unavoidable removal of 14 large trees above the road, explaining that every possibility of retaining the trees has been exhausted. In the consultation, the Council received no objections to removing the trees for the purpose of stabilising the failing embankment.
As a result of the required removal of trees, the Council has committed to planting 14 new trees within Bronwydd Park. This is in line with its Climate Change commitments, acknowledging that the removal of trees is a last resort option – with every effort made to mitigate any essential tree felling.
