Drainage improvements to be delivered at A4233 Porth Relief Road (Ynyshir)

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council will next week begin an important scheme to reduce the risk of flooding at the A4233 Porth Relief Road – requiring a full road closure for four weeks, with vehicles diverted via Ynyshir Road.

The £170,000 works, which are fully-funded by Welsh Government’s Resilient Roads Grant for 2020/21, include an urgent drainage replacement scheme aimed at reducing the flood risk at Porth Relief Road, during periods of heavy rainfall. The Council has recently appointed Calibre Contracting as the contractor responsible for delivering this improvement scheme.

Works will start during the week commencing Monday, August 3, requiring a section of the Porth Relief Road to close between Wattstown Roundabout and the A4233’s junction with Aberrhondda Road and Ynyshir Road.

An alternative route via Ynyshir Road will be clearly signposted by the contractor. Access will not be maintained for emergency services throughout.

Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Highways and Transportation, said: “During June 2020, the Council was allocated more than £3m funding by Welsh Government via its Resilient Roads Grant, to fund highway drainage infrastructure schemes at 16 targeted locations in the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys.

“The schemes aim to adapt to the effects of climate change by undertaking works to improve the resilience of the highway network, in order to cope with increased rainfall. The upcoming work in Porth is one of the first to be brought forward locally, using the newly-allocated Welsh Government funding.

“This work is likely to cause some disruption, with a closure of the Porth Relief Road necessary to deliver the scheme. I’d like to thank local residents and road users in advance for their cooperation, as the Council works very closely with its contractor to complete this improvement work as quickly as possible.”