The Council has begun a significant drainage improvement scheme to reduce the risk of flooding in Treorchy – by upgrading highway drainage infrastructure within Hermon Street and upgrading nearby gullies at High Street.
The work, funded by Welsh Government’s Resilient Roads scheme, started on Monday, February 28, after the Council wrote to local residents to explain the works. The scheme is designed to reduce the risk of flooding to properties on High Street, and will be completed in four weeks – subject to fair weather.
Part of the work will take place over an 18-metre section of the carriageway at Hermon Street, to replace a pipe lying three metres beneath the road. In order to enable this work, Hermon Street will need to be closed to vehicles – with the duration of the closure being minimised to reduce disruption locally.
Access for pedestrians and emergency services will be maintained at all times, while there are also arrangements in place to enable all refuse and recycling collections to continue as normal while Hermon Street is closed.
The other element of the scheme includes the upgrading of road drainage gullies, on the nearby section of road at High Street. This will include installing larger intake grills, while the new gullies will be more resilient to blockages.
The traffic management required for the work at High Street will not affect traffic flow, with the use of traffic lights not required. However, there will be a loss of parking places next to the gullies on a temporary basis while the works are being carried out – with every effort being made to minimise disruption.
The scheme has been developed in partnership with Welsh Water whose infrastructure is situated downstream of the High Street drainage network. This has ensured that these works will provide resilience to properties within High Street, without increasing the risk of flooding further downstream.
The work is being carried out by the Council’s Streetcare Team, which has appointed Arch Services as its sub-contractor for the scheme.
Welsh Government’s Resilient Roads funding is available to Local Authorities to deliver drainage improvements on areas of the road network with a history of flooding – and £7.5m has been secured in Rhondda Cynon Taf for targeted drainage schemes in 2020/21 and 2021/22. Important works have so far been delivered at the Porth Relief Road in Ynyshir, the A4059 from Penywaun to Trecynon, the A4059 Aberdare Bypass near Asda Roundabout and on the same route between Mountain Ash and Abercynon.
A major upgrade of culverts on A4061 Rhigos Road (near Tower Colliery) started last month.
The latest scheme in Treorchy will be completed throughout March, and the Council would like to thank the local community for their cooperation while these resilience works are completed to protect properties on High Street.
Posted on 02/03/2022