New traffic arrangements related to the Maindy Road bridge scheme in Ton Pentre will be trialled from Thursday – lifting the Pentwyn Road closure, with controls on Bailey Street (8am-6pm weekdays) to allow through-traffic for local journeys to Cwmparc, Treorchy Comprehensive School and Bwlch Mountain.
The bridge replacement at B4223 Maindy Road, near the police station and just south of the junction with The Parade, started in late July. The structure is in a very poor condition and requires a bridge deck replacement – a process complicated by the presence of key utility apparatus for water, electricity, gas and fibre optic connections, which need to be diverted by external agencies.
The scheme is progressing well – three weeks ahead of schedule and estimated to be completed by late November 2023 (weather permitting).
The bridge replacement is absolutely necessary, and it was acknowledged that the scheme would very likely cause unavoidable traffic disruption locally – particularly on the A4058 diversion route and at Stag Square. The Council has closely monitored the situation to explore options to improve traffic flow – they include adjusting the Stag Square lights and altering waste collection times. Further improvement measures will be trialled from Thursday, October 5.
New traffic arrangements being trialled from October 5
The current closure at Pentwyn Road will be lifted from Thursday – enabling through-traffic to use Bailey Street. As Bailey Street is not usually suitable for larger volumes of traffic, this change will be accompanied by local control measures (from 8am-6pm weekdays). These include:
- A manually-controlled Stop/Go system on the northern end of Bailey Street, at the Maindy Crescent junction, allowing a limited number of vehicles through at a time to spread the flow of traffic. It is estimated that around 250 cars will travel through in each direction per hour, easing congestion on the A4058 and at Stag Square.
- A manually-controlled Stop/Go system towards the southern end of Bailey Street, allowing traffic to enter/exit Bailey Street in a controlled way. The Bailey Street/Church Street junction will be closely monitored.
- Two small areas of on-street parking at Bailey Street, near Augusta Street, being brought out of use by a temporary single yellow line, creating a safer environment for increased traffic. Parking restrictions will run from 8am-6pm on Mondays to Fridays, and therefore parking will be allowed on the single yellow line during early mornings, evenings and weekends. To mitigate some of the day-time parking loss, new parking spaces will be made available at Augusta Street and Queen Street.
- A traffic marshal located near Ton Pentre Junior School at key morning and afternoon periods, ensuring responsible parking in these busy time periods, in order to maintain traffic flow on Bailey Street.
- Traffic marshals located at the entrances to Augusta Street and Crawshay Street, monitoring and controlling traffic from these side streets, allowing them to safely enter the flow of traffic on Bailey Street.
Outside of the weekday work hours (before 8am and after 6pm each day), the traffic management will revert back to the current night-time and early morning arrangements – Pentwyn Road will be open with no additional measures at Bailey Street. Weekend arrangements will continue as before, with Pentwyn Road closed between 8am and 5pm.
Please note, opening Bailey Street for through-traffic is intended for road users that would not usually use Stag Square – for example, road users heading for Cwmparc, Treorchy Comprehensive School and Bwlch Mountain.
We strongly-advise all other road users to continue to travel via the A4058. This will enable traffic flow through Bailey Street – and the wider communities of Ton Pentre, Pentre and Treorchy – to operate under the best conditions. Large vehicles like HGVs should also use the A4058.
These controls intend to slightly reduce the congestion on the A4058 and at Stag Square. The changes from October 5 are trial arrangements that can be reversed if traffic does not respond as expected.
Residents will shortly receive a letter explaining the arrangements, while Ton Pentre Junior School pupils will also provide key information to parents.
The Council continues to work very closely with its contractor to progress the bridge replacement at Maindy Street as quickly as possible. Officers are also continuing to explore ways to make extra progress, and whether the current completion date (late November 2023) can be brought forward even further.
Please also note that while the bridge works are being progressed under the road closure at Maindy Road, Wales & West Utilities are taking the opportunity to undertake a major gas main upgrade – which would have otherwise needed to be completed under a separate future road closure.
The Council would like to once again thank residents, road users and local businesses for their continued patience and cooperation.
Posted on 29/09/2023