THE WESTBOUND carriage of the A48 re-opened hours ahead of schedule last night (Oct 16), after a new piece of pipeline was successfully installed and tested.
The road between Nantycaws and Carmarthen was closed on Friday (Oct 14) following the leak of 140,00 litres of kerosene from a pipeline.
The pipeline, which carries diesel and aviation fuel from Valero in Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, had a new main section installed on Saturday (Oct 15).
A Valero spokesperson said that the new section had been tested to make sure that no additional leakage would occur.
They added: “We continue to work with Natural Resources Wales to minimise the risk to the environment and to keep the impact on the wildlife to a minimum.”
Simon Jenkins, from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Group Manager, said: “We are pleased to have supported this multi-agency operation, including the service drone and pilots, providing live imagery to support the silver commander and his team to plan ahead, put any necessary measures in place and respond dynamically by directing resources quickly.”
The fire service deployed a drone over the weekend to monitor the flow of traffic during the closure.
A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police’s specialist operations department, Ch Insp Peter Roderick, said: “The fact we are in a position to re-open the westbound carriageway hours earlier than expected is excellent, and a relief to all, especially those planning to travel on Monday morning.
“There have been very little problems on the diversion routes throughout the weekend, and this is largely due to the understanding, patience and co-operation shown by the public and road users. I would like to sincerely thank everyone for this response.”
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