Cross Valley Link Investment

Council Leader, Councillor Andrew Morgan has confirmed the Council is to receive grant funding of £0.3m from Welsh Government to support the Council’s investment in a Southern Cross Valley Link in the Cynon Valley. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The next steps required to deliver the Cross Valley Link will now be considered by Cabinet in April. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

County Borough Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As a result of the funding the Council has prioritised to take forward this key transport scheme, work has been progressing on issues such as traffic surveys and modelling together with initial option analysis and consideration of potential land assembly. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“A cross valley link for the lower Cynon Valley has been an aspiration for several decades and for a variety of reasons the scheme has failed to reach fruition but with the Council and Welsh Government investment, positive progress is finally being made. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“To my mind this scheme is fundamental to the future investment opportunities but also to ensure that residents have access to the wider employment prospects of the region. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Many residents will recall the traffic cameras along the A4059 and around the lower Cynon Valley last year. This is part of a wider exercise to collect data on traffic movements to support the business case to secure funding for the scheme. I am confident we will be successful in securing further funding to progress this scheme as a result of the positive dialogue we have with the Welsh Government and the Minister for Economy and Transport around the potential for the Cross Valley Link. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The scheme has the potential to significantly improve traffic flows within the Cynon Valley and access onto the A470 and then further afield. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Unfortunately, at present, traffic on the A4059 is subject to long queues of slow moving traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours due to the bottle neck at Mountain Ash. We have to make this scheme a reality. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Potential improvements to the transport infrastructure of the County Borough are one of the main reasons I pushed the case to secure a City Deal. In areas of the UK where the City Deal model is in operation there is already clear evidence of the benefits improvements to transport infrastructure and the highway networks around the wider region have had on economic regeneration. As the proposals for a City Deal around Cardiff are developed I am personally keen to see transport both on the road, rail and in terms of public transport feature high on the list of priority.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​