A NEW £6.15million link road connecting Carmarthen town centre with the west has officially opened.
The Carmarthen West scheme, led by Carmarthenshire County Council, opened to vehicles on Friday afternoon (March 8, 2019).
The road connects the A40 at Travellers Rest with College Road providing direct access to the trunk road network for key employment sites at St David’s Park, Hywel Dda Health Board’s Hafan Derwen and the University of Wales Trinity St David’s Carmarthen campus. It also serves the new S4C headquarters Yr Egin, a major project for the Swansea Bay City Region.
Carmarthenshire County Council has funded the scheme, with grant support through the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund, and a contribution through a planning agreement with developers.
Carmarthen West has been identified as a strategic site within the council’s Local Development Plan and is allocated for mixed use development including 1,100 new homes, a primary school, employment space, a small retail centre, open space and affordable housing.
Local firm Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd has delivered the scheme, completing the first phase in October 2017 with the opening of a new junction at Job’s Well Road, laying of services and the formation of the route of the road. A new arch bridge has also been constructed over the Tawelan Brook.
The second phase commenced May 2018 and finished this week.
Cllr Hazel Evans, Executive Board Member for Environment, said: “This is a huge transport scheme that will improve the road network and complement a number of key development schemes in the pipeline for Carmarthen West. It will help ease traffic congestion in this busy part of the town, and cut down journey times for commuters whilst benefitting the environment.”
Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader and Executive Board Member for Regeneration, said: “The Carmarthen West link road brings a significant economic benefit to the county, opening up new links for business in the long-term. It has also created employment and training opportunities during the construction phase.
“We’re grateful to Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd for their work to deliver this scheme, and we were pleased to see people using it just minutes after it was officially opened.”
In figures…
Delivering the Carmarthen West link road has been no mean feat….
· 1,800 metres of road created
· 40,000 tonnes of ground excavated
· 13,000m2 of Tarmac laid
· 4,000 metres of kerbing
· 2,500 metres of drainage pipe laid
· 90 lighting columns installed
· Three roundabouts
· One bridge built, with a 19 metre span pre-cast concrete arch
· One signalised junction
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