Further Funding Announced For Cross Valley Link

Mountain Ash’s Cross Valley Link project is set to take another step forward, thanks to the Welsh Government once again showing its support by releasing a further £351,000 funding. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The recent announcement comes months after the Welsh Government awarded Rhondda Cynon Taf Council £300,000 to carry out investigation works at the site – which brings their total investment in the scheme to £651,000. This funding is in addition to the Council’s £2m funding that was allocated by Cabinet in December and £1.95m that was allocated in 2015 as part of its wider 26.5m Highways, Transportation, Infrastructure and Strategic Projects (HTISP) programme. This brings total investment allocated to date for this important scheme to £4.601m. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Plans of the vital bridge and associated improvements that will help to link the A4059 and the Mountain Ash communities have now been submitted for approval and are set to go before the Council’s planning committee shortly. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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This much needed scheme has been in the pipeline for many years and is now forging ahead thanks in part to the recent funding announcement from the Welsh Government and the RCTinvest programme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The investment forms part of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s wider £200m RCTinvest programme, which is supporting key priority areas such as Leisure and Outdoor Leisure Facilities, Play Areas, Highways and Structures, Transport Infrastructure, Flood Alleviation, Schools, Recycling Facilities, Housing and Town and Village Centres, with investment. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Subject to planning approval, the major traffic project in the Cynon Valley will see a bridge built over the river and railway in Mountain Ash, linking communities with the main A4059 road by the end of 2019. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Councillor Andrew Morgan, who is also Cabinet Member for Highways, said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The recent funding announcement is welcome and demonstrates Welsh Government’s support for the project that has been an aspiration in the Cynon Valley for many years and is now, finally, a reality. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It is thanks to our strategic approach that we have been able to secure funding to deliver this scheme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As a result of the £3.95m funding put forward by the Council and the £651,000 Welsh Government funding, we are now developing this scheme in detail to take the project forward and we have already seen significant activity taking place on site throughout 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Following the comprehensive traffic surveys and analysis that have taken place over the last year, we have been able to evidence that this proposal has the potential to reduce congestion on the key junctions in the area and reduce journey times on strategic and local routes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The analysis that has been undertaken has considered current and future traffic scenarios to simulate traffic levels. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It anticipates that the bridge will carry over 1,700 vehicles in each of the morning and afternoon peak hours in 2030. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Plans have now been submitted and if accepted the Council will look to award a contractor as soon as possible to ensure works start as planned during 2018.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Subject to planning permission and Compulsory Purchase of third party land, construction works are set to start in late 2018 and will link traffic from the A4059 to the B4257 at Miskin Road on the other side of the river in Mountain Ash – near the Baileys Arms pub and Glyngwyn Street. The new bridge will stretch from the Cwm Cynon Industrial Estate over the Afon Cynon River and the train line between Mountain Ash and Penrhiwceiber. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Preparatory works continue this month with further ground investigation works scheduled to be carried out adjacent to the track in the vicinity of the proposed bridge. Following discussions with Network Rail it has been agreed that the works will take place at night so as not to disrupt train services. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The works will take place from 8pm on Saturday 11 February (NB there will be no disruption to train services in the area) to 9am on Sunday 12 February. Further works will then be carried out from 10pm on Saturday 18 February to 5.30am on Sunday 19 February and at the same time for subsequent nights for a maximum of 7 nights (up to the morning of Sunday 26 February). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Last year, the following works were carried out: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• Topographic/Drainage/Utilities surveys
• Ground Investigation
• Ecology
• Highways Design
• Structures Design
• Landscape Design
• Flood Consequences Assessment
• Compulsory Purchase Order preparatory works

These works have captured the technical data needed which will now inform technical analyses and generate reports which will help inform final scheme designs and mitigation measures. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​