New funding begins exciting 2018 for Mountain Ash Cross Valley Link

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has secured additional Welsh Government funding of £500,000 for its Mountain Ash Cross Valley Link Scheme – bringing the total current investment to more than £9m.

The overall scheme will see a 60-metre bridge built from Cwm Cynon Industrial Estate to Miskin Road, providing a key link for traffic between the A4059 and B4275. The Council’s flagship project is geared up for an exciting 2018, after a successful 2017 saw major works begin on site in three areas – at Miskin Road, Cardiff Road and the A4059 junction.

Click here to see more latest images of the wider Cross Valley Link scheme

Works to deliver major improvements to the A4059-Cwm Cynon Industrial Estate junction began in October. The work will widen the A4059 carriageway where it meets the industrial estate, introducing new lanes on this section of road to maximise capacity and traffic flow. Progress to date has included site clearance, road base works, kerbing, drainage, utility diversions and significant piling works for the construction of a retaining wall.

The works followed the completion of junction improvements at Cardiff Road in October, which included a new road layout, re-surfacing works and the installation of new lighting. Meanwhile, at Miskin Road, the demolition of two cottages and adjacent garages, as well as accommodation works, was completed in November.

Construction of the Cross Valley Link road itself is on course to begin in Summer 2018, while the overall project is due for completion by 2020.

As works continue to progress on site and behind the scenes, the Council has now secured an additional £500,000 from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund. It brings the total allocation of funding for the scheme to £9.001m – to which £4.101m can be attributed to the Welsh Government.

Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Highways, said: “The Council’s announcement that another half-a-million pounds has been secured for this important scheme is excellent news to start the New Year, which promises to see the Cross Valley Link rapidly develop on a month-by-month basis.

“The Welsh Government has now invested more than £4m in the Cross Valley Link, reflecting the importance of this local transport scheme. It will improve traffic in and around Mountain Ash, and along the wider A4059 Cynon Valley corridor, on which hundreds of commuters rely upon every day.

“The Council’s own investment of nearly £5m is indicative of its major funding for Highways as a key area in the wider £200m #RCTinvest scheme. The Council will also continue to seek external investment, where possible, to help fund such projects for the benefit of the County Borough’s residents and visitors.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the progress made in the coming months – with the major A4059 junction works now well underway. That will be followed by construction of the main bridge structure during the Summer – as residents will be able to see the whole site evolve as more and more progress is made.”