THE PUBLICATION of the Road Review by Lee Waters MS at the Senedd yesterday brings a rethink on road investment in Ceredigion.
Lee Waters MS, Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Transport has today announced that two passing places road schemes for the A487 at Llanrhystud and between Llanon and Aberarth will no longer take place. Neither will the A44 Aberystwyth to Llangurig Improvement Study. The Dorglwyd Junction improvement near Comins Coch will, however, be progressing.
In detail, the Roads Review says:
- The A44 Llangurig to Aberystwyth study should not proceed to the next stage because of the high-cost elements that increase road width and encourage overtaking, which would increase private motor vehicle use, speeds and carbon emissions. Asset renewals should be considered as part of the Zero-Based Review of all renewals and maintenance schemes. Medium-cost active travel and bus infrastructure enhancements should be taken forward independently.
- The A487 Aberarth and A487 Llanrhystud and schemes should not proceed because the case for change is weak. However, consideration should be given to constructing shared use foot/cycleways between Llanrhystud and Aberarth.
- Welsh Government could continue to support the A487 Dorglwyd Comins Coch scheme, subject to consideration of the Panel’s advice on scheme design, and benchmarking against other safety schemes to demonstrate that the scheme is among the best of safety schemes waiting for funding
Ben Lake MP and Elin Jones MS have consistently called for investment in active travel routes and public transport in Ceredigion. In order to persuade people to decrease the use of cars, then more priority should be given to public transport. Both elected members are also keen champions of reducing carbon emissions in order to tackle climate change and in order to do so, things must be done differently in the future.
Responding to the Review, Elin Jones MS said: “The climate change emergency requires a rethink of road building and I certainly support a switch from costly road schemes to public transport infrastructure schemes. I’m pleased that a new Dorglwyd Junction has been given the green light by the Welsh Government’s Road Review. It’s an accident blackspot and is long overdue improvement. I would hope that funding for this scheme will be more readily available now, as major costly schemes along the M4 and A55 corridors have been scrapped.
The passing places schemes for Llanrhystud and Aberarth on the A487 were proposed a few years ago by the Welsh Government. They were not widely supported locally and would no doubt have resulted in increased speeds between Llanrhystud, Llanon and Aberarth. I doubt if many local residents will be disappointed to see these schemes scrapped and I certainly support the proposal in the Roads Review to invest in a walking and cycling route along the A487 in that area. Indeed, I’d want to go further and see such an active travel route along the entirety of the A487 between Cardigan and Machynlleth.
On the A44 between Aberystwyth and Llangurig, then there’s certainly a case to improve safety on that road. Some of that may be achieved by lower speed limits, but I also believe that the infrastructure of this road needs to be updated. I’m pleased therefore to see that the A44 in this area would be considered for Asset Renewal.”
Ben Lake MP added: “Elin and I are regularly contacted by concerned residents living alongside the A44 and A487 about the increase in volume and speed of the traffic travelling through their villages, and issues of pedestrian safety. For years we have both campaigned for improved safety in several locations, and hopefully the publication of this review will provide a platform for a better response from the Government towards introducing more immediate road safety measures and reduced speed limits. Such measures would be far more beneficial for the communities along the main trunk roads and would be better for the environment and for air quality.
We are now calling on the Welsh Government to invest in Ceredigion’s public transport infrastructure. We have warned the Welsh Government that our bus and rail sector are facing a fragile future and need urgent investment.”
