Phase three of walking and cycling route underway

WORK has started on the third phase of a walking and cycling route which will improve links between communities as well as to key leisure and employment sites in Llanelli.

Phases one and two of the scheme – which saw a shared use path created along the A4138 between the Trosserch roundabout in Llangennech and Llethri Road roundabout in Dafen – have already been completed.

The third phase will see a new section created between Llethri Road roundabout and Dafen roundabout.

Disruption will be kept to a minimum as much as possible with works being carried out between 9.30am and 3.30pm to avoid peak rush hour times.

The scheme is expected to take five months to complete and has been made possible thanks to a grant through Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.

The aim is to encourage sustainable travel and improve road safety in the area, linking communities for easy access to schools and shops, and employment sites including those at Llanelli Gate Business Park and the Dafen Industrial Estate, as well as Gestamp and Calsonic Kansei, two of the town’s largest employers.

It also forms part of the longer term plan to create a wider walking and cycling network in and around Llanelli, improving the health and wellbeing of residents, as part of the council’s commitment under the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013; and supports Carmarthenshire’s aspiration to become a premier walking and cycling destination in Wales.

Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Hazel Evans said: “I am delighted that work has started on phase three of the scheme which will encourage people to cycle or walk instead of using the car.

“The longer term plan is to create a wider network that will make walking and cycling into and around the town a safe, attractive and accessible alternative to car use.

“We want to make ‘active travel’ the most attractive option for shorter journeys and by doing so it will mean more people can enjoy the increased health benefits of active travel, which in turn will help to reduce greenhouse emissions, as well as tackle poverty and help our economy to grow.”

Counters placed along phases one and two of the route show regular usage by cyclists and walkers with 10,238 movements by cyclists recorded in 2017 along with 13,468 pedestrian movements. It is anticipated that these figures will increase when phase three is completed.