Church Village Bypass is celebrating its first anniversary and has saved an incredible seven million journeys across the once congested roads that serviced its nearby communities.
Since its opening, the traffic reduction on sections of the former A473 from Cross Inn to Tonteg has been reduced by up to 70 percent.
Not only has it provided huge environmental relief to the villages themselves, but has also increased the reliability times for public transport which was often delayed due to the bottle-neck congestion at peak hours.
It means that there are on average 20,000 vehicles less per day using the former main road and are instead traveling the Bypass itself. This equates to an astonishing 7,300,000 journeys in a year.
Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Cllr Russell Roberts said: “Many of us campaigned long and hard to ensure the financial support was available to deliver such a major scheme. It took significant time and negotiation with several Ministers to secure the funding, but with the backing of the former Pontypridd AM Jane Davidson along with Church Village councillors the scheme was delivered as a result of the commitment of this administration to achieving delivery of not only our aspirations but a commitment we made to the electorate
“Through hard lobbying we delivered this scheme on time and within budget. Every time I travel this road I am impressed by how swiftly it connects the western side of Taff Ely with Pontypridd and the A470, bringing much needed respite to the congestion experienced by residents and commuters in the locality. The delivery of the Church Village Bypass is an example of how the continuity of leadership at the Council has been able to turn our aspirations into reality.”
Church Village Bypass opened two months ahead of schedule and well within its £90million budget in what was widely regarded as a pioneering approach to the pursuit of best practice
Delivered by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and its construction partner Costain, with Welsh Assembly Government funding, the scheme saw the creation of jobs, the education and training of workforces of the future and a concerted effort to engage the community in its progress.
Seen as economically beneficial to the whole of the county borough, Church Village Bypass was, during construction, the largest single highways project undertaken by any local authority in the UK.
As part of the project, a four metre-wide Community Route runs the full length of the Bypass and incorporates other local footpaths and public rights of way via three footbridges passing over the highway. Since the Community Route opened an estimated 80,000 people have walked or cycled along it.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Customer Care and Emergency Planning Cllr Andrew Morgan said, “The Church Village Bypass was delivered a year ago to bring widespread benefits to the neighbouring communities and provide a legacy for future generations.
“A total of 1,400,000 working man hours were undertaken with 73 inactive individuals being employed. The work was undertaken without any reportable accidents.
“This in itself is an incredible achievement and we look back with great satisfaction and pride in the excellent work undertaken to deliver such a long-awaiting route for the residents of of Llantwit Fardre, Church Village and Tonteg.
“A year on and we can all certainly see the benefits for ourselves. Not only is the Bypass a much welcomed route for travellers, but it means that local communities have seen a dramatic reduction in traffic congestion and public transport can run smoothly as never before.
“I know how grateful local residents are for the relief it has brought their communities. For motorists themselves, the Church Village Bypass has brought untold benefits to each and every one and we see it as strategically important to the economic development of the whole of the County Borough.”
