New traffic signals on A4059 at Mountain Ash to be switched on
New traffic signals at the A4059’s junction with Cwm Cynon Industrial Estate will be brought into use this weekend, representing another development in the delivery of the Mountain Ash Cross Valley Link scheme.
Major improvements have been delivered at the junction since works began in October 2017. The carriageway has been widened, introducing an additional lane (in both directions) for traffic continuing ahead on the A4059, and new holding lanes for traffic turning into the industrial estate (from both directions). The junction will become traffic-controlled and new signals are in place.
The junction, now with a greater capacity, will become a vital component of the wider Cross Valley Link, which will see a 60 metre bridge built from the industrial estate to Miskin Road – over the river and Aberdare-Cardiff railway line, by 2019/20. It will provide a key link for traffic on the A4059 and B4275, relieving congestion along the Cynon Valley corridor.
The new traffic signals at the junction will be commissioned from Sunday, May 27. The lights will be fitted with the latest Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation (MOVA) technology, which will manage the signal timings in response to developing traffic queues. Once installed, the signals will take a small period of time to ‘learn’ the local traffic patterns to operate efficiently – and there is potential for some queuing traffic during this initial process.
Meanwhile, Cardiff Road is scheduled to re-open to traffic during the week commencing Monday, June 4, following the construction of a Vehicle Restraint System (barrier). The Council will communicate arrangements for the road’s re-opening in due course.
The wider scheme has been boosted financially this year, bringing the total funding allocated to date to £11.92m. This includes Welsh Government funding of £1.5m at the end of March 2018, and an additional £368,000 from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund for 2018/19.
The main construction phase of the Cross Valley Link – building a two-way road bridge over the river and railway line – will begin during summer 2018.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Highways, said: “The Mountain Ash Cross Valley Link continues to go from strength to strength, and the completion of major junction improvements at the Cwm Cynon Industrial Estate junction represents another major landmark for the wider scheme.
“The Cross Valley Link has been an aspiration for the Local Authority and the community for many years, and the great progress being made shows that this project will become a reality in 2019/20. The main construction of the road bridge will begin this summer, and almost £12m has been allocated to the scheme thanks to £4.89m funding from the Welsh Government.
“The new traffic signals at the Cwm Cynon Industrial Estate junction have been installed following the widening and resurfacing of the Highway, which has greatly increased the capacity of the junction.
“The lights will be switched on this weekend with the latest technology – which has the potential to create some traffic queues while the system ‘learns’ and adapts to the local traffic patterns. I’d like to thank residents and road users in advance for their co-operation, and for their cooperation throughout this major part of the project on the A4059 – which has now been completed.
