Motorists are facing a 70-mile diversion as a stretch of the A470 shuts for three months starting from Monday. The closure, affecting a three-mile section between Talerddig and Dolfach, will run from January 20 to April 11.
In October 2023 a retaining wall supporting the A470 between Talerddig and Dolfach partially collapsed and an emergency closure was put in place. During this period works were undertaken to stabilise the carriageway to allow the A470 to reopen with traffic lights in place to close the westbound lane. This arrangement has remained in place in order to remove any traffic loading from the weak edge.
Work on the permanent fix did start last October but this was temporarily halted due to a fatal rail collision on the Cambrian railway line. The upcoming full closure will last until April 11 and then a two-way traffic light system will be reintroduced while construction is finalised. All traffic management is expected to be removed from the site by April 30.
Traffic Wales, which monitors and maintains the main routes in Wales, said in a statement: “The works will involve the complete excavation of the carriageway in order to rebuild the wall and there is therefore no option other than to close the road between the dates.”
They say the retaining wall supporting the A470 above the adjacent Afon Iaen is more than 5m tall and the carriageway is less than 8m wide. “In order to construct the foundations of the new retaining wall the full width of the carriageway is needed to excavate enough material to allow access safely for our workforce.”
The duration of the works has been extended to also accommodate a water main diversion. Stay updated with our latest breaking news by joining our WhatsApp news community here.
The A470 will be closed 24 hours a day to all vehicles during the closure period. Access will be maintained for pedestrians and cyclists. Westbound traffic will be diverted via Caersws, Newtown (A483), Welshpool, and Mallwyd (A458) to rejoin the route at Glantwymyn. Eastbound traffic will follow the same diversion in reverse.
Here is the map of the diversion:
(Image: Traffic Wales)
School transport will also be affected by the closure. The Traffic Wales statement added: “We are undertaking these works in winter to avoid travel disruption at the busiest time of year. Unfortunately this will have an impact on school transport. We are liaising with the relevant transport authorities. The closure period will coincide partially with the February half term dates.” More details on bus services are available here.
A spokesman for the Welsh Government said: “This work is essential in order to ensure the road can remain open in the years to come. We understand this will cause disruption in the short term while the work is under way and we thank drivers for their patience. It is vital this work is carried out at this time for the future resilience of the road.”