The Council will begin a works scheme across several streets in Pontyclun, to improve pedestrian safety within the community. The works will start in the New Year, and will complement the significant investment in new education facilities which are being delivered for Pontyclun Primary School.
Work will begin in the week commencing Monday, January 6, to construct a range of safer walking measures targeted on the popular walking routes for families to and from the local primary school. The work locations include Heol-y-Felin, Ffordd Talygarn, Cow bridge Road, Palalwyf Avenue, Heol yr Orsaf, Castan Road, Cerdin Avenue, Stuart Street, Llantrisant Road, and School Street.
The works activity will vary across number of locations. This will include the installation of tactile paving, the removal of trip hazards such as return kerbs, reducing the radius of junctions to reduce the speed of exiting and entering vehicles, resurfacing footways and carriageways where needed, and installing traffic calming features – for example, buildouts at certain junctions.
Pontyclun Primary School will benefit from a new state-of-the-art main building on its existing site, thanks to significant investment via the Mutual Investment Model – which is the revenue stream of Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme. The construction phase for the two-storey building is progressing well, towards completion in early spring 2025.
The safer routes work will be completed ahead of the new school building’s opening. The Council has appointed Kordel Civils & Building Ltd as the contractor to deliver the pedestrian improvements in the weeks ahead.
The contractor will require varying traffic management from one location to the next – but no road closures are anticipated. Work areas will be fenced off, with footway restrictions in place at some of the locations. However, pedestrian access will be maintained at all times, and signposted where it is appropriate.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said: “These upcoming works will represent a Council investment of around a quarter-of-a-million pounds, to improve the local pedestrian facilities in Pontyclun. The works will range from pavement and footway upgrades to targeted junction improvements, aimed at reducing vehicle speeds and promoting safety.
“The brand new main building for Pontyclun Primary School is on course for opening in early spring 2025, and the safer routes works will complement this investment – as has been achieved in many communities that have benefitted from new education facilities in recent times. Similar schemes have been delivered in Hawthorn and Church Village during 2024, while a second phase of safe routes works got underway in Hirwaun during November 2024.
“The Pontyclun scheme in the New Year will aim to encourage more people to walk local journeys – which has many advantages, from increasing health and well-being, to reducing traffic congestion and helping the environment. Work from January 6 will take place across multiple locations – however, with the exception of localised footway diversions, the disruption to the community is expected to be minimal. Thanks in advance to residents for your cooperation.”
Posted on 19/12/2024