Mountain Ash, Cynon Valley. The controversial junction on the A4059 in Newtown, Mountain Ash continues to be a flashpoint for road safety concerns, with local residents and road users calling for urgent changes to the current traffic light and lane layout. As it emerges that there was another accident at this junction on Saturday
The design by Redstart, a member of the Capital Group, features a junction that features a set of traffic lights followed immediately by a short two-lane section that quickly merges back into one lane. This design has been widely criticised for creating dangerous driving conditions and contributing to frequent accidents.
Local voices had warned before construction that introducing traffic lights on the A4059 was “bad news,” especially given the proximity of another set of signals just half a mile away near Mountain Ash Old Town Hall. The area is already a known bottleneck, and adding more traffic lights has exacerbated congestion rather than alleviating it.
The core issue lies in the short two-lane section immediately after the traffic lights, which forces drivers to merge rapidly, often leading to side collisions, abrupt braking, and driver frustration. Many drivers accelerate away from the lights only to face an unexpected and rushed merge, creating confusion and aggressive manoeuvres.
Despite efforts by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council to improve safety—such as reducing speed limits on the A4095, installing average speed cameras, and resurfacing roads with enhanced markings—the fundamental design flaw remains unaddressed at this junction. A roundabout that works similarly to the one at Ynys, further along the A4059, has been proposed by community members as a safer alternative. However, the council previously rejected this option due to concerns about peak-time congestion. The stubbornness of the local council has only made the congestion worse.
Local residents argue that the presence of multiple traffic lights within a short distance causes stop-start traffic that worsens bottlenecks and increases accident risk. They contend that the junction’s design ignored early warnings and expert advice, resulting in a hazardous stretch of road that continues to claim victims.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, has acknowledged the challenges on the A4059 and highlighted ongoing safety reviews and improvements, including new speed limits and road resurfacing. However, many in Mountain Ash remain unconvinced that these measures are enough without a fundamental redesign of the junction. In the past, the leader of the council has said that any traffic lights on the A4059 are bad news.
As calls grow louder for action, the community urges the council to reconsider the junction layout—either by removing the problematic two-lane section after the lights or by installing a roundabout—to restore safety and improve traffic flow on this vital Cynon Valley route.
There is also a major missed opportunity for safer roads in Mountain Ash is coming back into focus, as residents recall that Mid Glamorgan County Council once proposed a roundabout and northern bridge scheme that could have transformed the town’s traffic flow and eliminated the now-controversial traffic lights near the old Town Hall.
The original plan, developed decades ago, would have seen a roundabout constructed just up from the Town Hall, coupled with a new bridge crossing the railway and River Cynon. This northern section would have provided direct access into the northern part of Mountain Ash, relieving pressure on the central junction and improving safety at the busy intersection with the A4095 near the Mountain Ash Bowls Club. Crucially, this design would have removed the need for the problematic traffic lights, now widely blamed for added congestion.
However, after local government reorganisation, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council (RCTC) did not pursue the original Mid Glamorgan plan. The council has since argued that traffic volumes are lower now than in the past, implying that such a major infrastructure project is no longer justified. Many residents, however, dispute this claim, pointing to persistent congestion, ongoing safety issues, and the continued growth of the area.
Community members argue that traffic remains heavy and hazardous, especially at peak times, and that the failure to implement the roundabout and bridge has left Mountain Ash with a legacy of poor junction design and missed opportunities for safer, more efficient roads. The abandoned plan is seen as a blueprint that, if revived, could finally resolve the long-standing problems at the heart of the town’s road network.
As frustration mounts, calls are growing for RCTC to revisit the original proposals and deliver the infrastructure improvements that many believe are still urgently needed for the safety and prosperity of Mountain Ash. For the people of Mountain Ash and the rest of Cynon Valley, the call is simple: fix the junction, restore safety, and give the town the road system it was once promised.
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