Plans for new bypass confirmed

Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans for a new bypass in south Wales have been officially revealed by the local council.

A planning application has recently been submitted by Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council for the Llanharan Sustainable Transport Corridor.

It would include the creation of two distinct sections of road totalling around 2.4km in length and will provide a link from the existing A473, to the east of Llanharan, to the A473 New Road to the southwest.

The eastern section would be a 1.8km single carriageway linking the proposed Llanharan House signal-controlled junction on the A473 to the proposed Enterprise Way signal-controlled junction.

Two additional signal-controlled junctions are included to maintain connections to Llanharry Road and Old Llanharry Road respectively.

The western section would be a 600m single carriageway, which straightens the existing A473 New Road between the Dragon Studios roundabout to the Bridgend roundabout.

The scheme also includes infrastructure associated with the highways such as cycleways, embankments, street lighting, and drainage systems.

It also includes environmental mitigation such as planting, species management measures, and a noise barrier.

A central section of highways and associated infrastructure between the proposed Enterprise Way junction and the Llanilid roundabout is being delivered separately by developers of the Parc Llanilid housing estate so does not form part of this proposed scheme.

The application says Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council has had a long-standing proposal to construct a bypass around Llanharan, which has been incorporated into the local development plan (LDP).

The LDP says the proposed scheme is required to improve accessibility to services for local residents and remove vehicles from congested routes through the communities of Llanharan, Dolau, and Bryncae.

The application says the main aims of the scheme are to improve local development opportunities/economic regeneration and provide employment and social benefits.

Environmental conditions

It also aims to reduce the number of vehicle journeys on the existing A473, to sustainably improve the transport network resilience, and to improve environmental conditions for residents, including air quality and noise, and also to provide a net biodiversity benefit.

It aims to improve active travel routes and promote short journeys with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of the local community.

Other aims are to increase the use of public transport and to improve public transport reliability and to improve safety and reduce the number of collisions and the number of road users killed or seriously injured on all east and west routes through Llanharan and neighbouring communities.