Riverside path for cyclists and walkers among new projects to secure funding

Richard Youle, Local Democracy Reporter

Work on a long-awaited riverside path for cyclists and walkers is due to get under way this financial year.

The route by Swansea’s River Tawe is one of several transport projects awarded funding by the Welsh Government for 2026-27. Others include a new e-bike hire scheme and speed cameras on the A484 between the Cadle roundabout and Loughor Bridge.

The new riverside shared-use path would run along the west bank from north of the Tawe bridges to the top end of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks around a mile away, effectively linking the city centre with the Swansea.com Stadium and Morfa Retail Park.

A report before the council’s cabinet said it would be built in three phases over three years and cost £8.25 million, including design and project management costs.

The report said £6.6 million would come from the Welsh Government via the Regional Transport Fund, with £1.4 million via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and £250,000 from a developer contribution. The project is expected to involve considerable engineering work.

There is a shared-use path along the east of the Tawe – although set back the river – and council chiefs have long sought to create a new one opposite as part of wider plans to revive the riverside.

In total the council has received £6.7 million for various initiatives via the Regional Transport Fund for 2026-27, although some of the funding is to develop designs for schemes rather than delivering them.

The e-bike hire project falls into the delivery category for 2026-27 and has been awarded £750,000. It would comprise around 500 bikes for hire, provide an alternative to short car trips and integrate with the public transport network.

A road safety scheme on the A484 between the Cadle roundabout and Loughor Bridge has £370,000 of funding and is due to go ahead in 2026-27. The cabinet report said: “The scheme responds to a history of collisions along the route and will deliver highway safety improvements through the introduction of an average speed camera system, enhanced road marking, and sign improvements.”

A businessman based along this stretch of A484, who asked not to be named, said about the speed camera initiative: “It could do with it – it’s a very fast road. And it’s a lot faster at night-time. They race up and down there.”

Drainage scheme

Other projects to be delivered in 2026-27 include an £800,000 drainage scheme at flood-prone Killay Square, Killay, a new £700,000 shared-use path linking Ffordd Beck, Gowerton, to Pont Y Cob Road less than a mile away, and a £500,000 upgrade of the shared-use path between Dunvant and Gowerton.

There’s also £370,000 for eight new rapid electric vehicle charge points proposed in Clydach, St Thomas, the SA1-Swansea Marina area and Port Eynon, Gower, £761,000 to progress the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro with measures such as bus priority corridors, and £175,000 for safety improvements on Gors Road, Townhill.

Schemes which received funding to develop designs for future delivery include a new park and ride site on Alamein Road, Landore, to replace the existing one by the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, and a flood alleviation scheme on the A4118 between Llanddewi and Scurlage, Gower.

Cabinet is expected to formally approve the £6.7 million Regional Transport Fund award when it meets on April 16.