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Highways and Engineering

 
Each year, the Council delivers a large capital programme for Highways and Engineering, representing a major element of our Transforming RCT investment. The 2026/27 allocation is worth £41.9 million having been agreed in March 2026, and it follows a programme of work worth more than £37 million delivered last year.

The programme is supported by further Welsh Government funding, and covers many areas of investment – from resurfacing roads and footways to providing funding for flood alleviation, coal tip maintenance, highway and park structures, car parks and active travel. We’re also continuing to develop two major transportation schemes for the future, the Llanharan Sustainable Transport Corridor and the Cynon Gateway Link Road.

Further details about various Council and Welsh Government funding allocations for 2026/27 can be found on the links below:

Some key aspects of this year’s (2026/27) investment include:

  • More than £5.8 million funding for road resurfacing, with 77 schemes agreed in March 2026. Two new unadopted roads schemes will also be delivered with Council funding in Aberaman and Trealaw.
  • More than £565,000 funding for footway renewals, with 10 schemes agreed in March 2026.
  • A new safe routes scheme for Penywaun, supported by Welsh Government, will follow the ongoing delivery of the Cwmparc Safe Routes scheme using 2025/26 funding.
  • The Pontypridd Northern Gateway (to improve access to Pontypridd Bus Station and local connections), active travel development, and road safety education, training and promotion, which are all supported by Welsh Government funding.
  • More than £4 million secured from Welsh Government for flood alleviation across the Small Scale Works Grant and Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Programme. All works under these programmes are met by Council match funding, typically at 15%. The images below show a completed scheme from 2025/26, at Penrhys Road in Ystrad.

Penrhys Road

  • More than £12 million for highways structures, £420,000 for parks structures, and £260,000 for street lighting. Pictured is the major structures project at White Bridge, Pontypridd, which was completed in 2024/25 and celebrated in the Institution of Civil Engineers Wales Awards.

White Bridge completed

  • Funding of £500,000 for Park and Rides, creating extra parking at railway stations.

An example of this is the Treorchy Park and Ride project which was completed in 2025 (see video, left), while Welsh Government funding was secured in March 2026 towards Phase Three of the Porth Park and Ride Scheme.

  • The Rhondda Fach Active Travel Route, which continues to be delivered. The fifth and final stage of the main route (Ferndale to Tylorstown) is progressing on site towards completion.

The below images show sections of phase four, which was delivered in summer 2025:


Rhondda Fach phase four grid

  • The continued development of two major transportation schemes for the future. Council funding in 2026/27 is allocated to the Llanharan Sustainable Transport Corridor (£4.5 million)and the A465 Cynon Gateway North (£603,000), along with extra funding confirmed from the Welsh Government via the Cardiff Capital Region Transport Fund:

Major milestone reached for the Llanharan Sustainable Transport Corridor (March 2026)

Multi-million pound boost for the Cynon Gateway Link Road (March 2026)

Transport schemes 1

  • More than £13.7 million secured from Welsh Government’s Coal Tip Safety Grant, to monitor and maintain coal tips in Rhondda Cynon Taf in 2026/27. This includes regular maintenance of local tip sites, as well as the continuation of the major Tylorstown Landslip Remediation Plan and developing the Graig Ddu Tip scheme in Dinas.

The Council also continues to support the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal and the South Wales Metro, which will deliver electrification of the Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil lines, and increase the frequency of rail services.

Electric Vehicle Charging Points - update on installations