The Council has provided a construction update on phase five of the Rhondda Fach Active Travel Route, to establish the route’s final section from Ferndale to Tylorstown. The works are around half-way through, and have included building three replacement footbridges and two pedestrian and cycle links.
The 10km walking and cycling route from Maerdy through to Tylorstown has made excellent overall progress since 2023. This significant investment for Rhondda Fach communities is in partnership with Welsh Government, and is being delivered in five phases of work. Phases one, two, four and five will represent the primary route, with phase three providing a key local link off it.
Details about the progress made on the first four phases of work is included at the bottom of this update – with phases one and two (taking the route through Maerdy) and phase four (at Ferndale) having been completed and opened.
Council contractor Horan Construction Ltd started phase five in June 2025 – the2.8km final section between Ferndale and Tylorstown. It will extend from the southernmost point of phase four, between Rhondda Fach Leisure Centre (Ferndale) and the Stanleytown overbridge – connecting to the Porth Relief Road community route at its southern end. This section will follow the route of the old railway line, creating links to the sports centre and Tylorstown Surgery.
At the half-way point of these works, three key footbridge structures have been constructed and installed. These will remain closed until completion of phase five, and will form part of the walking and cycling route when it opens.
The first, Pont Pendyrus, has replaced the old timber leisure centre footbridge. It spans 17-metres and will form part of the link to the leisure centre – using an upgraded steel structure that is wider and meets active travel standards.
The second and third new bridges, Tylorstown North and South, replace old railway structures that were beyond repair. They both span 20-metres and are wider, steel alternatives that are suitable for modern active travel standards. In addition, substructure repairs are also completed to the abutments and piers.
Elsewhere within phase five, major earthworks have been completed to create the two new links to Tylorstown Surgery and Rhondda Fach Leisure Centre.
Phase five is on course to be completed on time by the end of March 2026 – which will ensure the entire 10k route between Maerdy and Tylorstown will be available to the public in spring 2026, completing the major overall investment.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said: “I’m pleased we’re now around half-way through phase five of the Rhondda Fach Active Travel Route, which is a major investment in a 10km walking and cycling route from Maerdy through to Tylorstown. The scheme has been a long-standing commitment for the Council, with the first phase delivered back in 2023 – and we’re now just a few months away from the entire main route being finished.
“We continue to welcome Welsh Government’s important support to deliver this major project – with full funding for phase five the latest allocation from the Active Travel Fund. Also in 2025/26, we’ve secured more than £1 million funding to design new routes between Talbot Green and Llanharan, and Treorchy and Treherbert, and to develop several more local schemes that are agreed in principle. Our continued progress reflects the importance we place on encouraging people to walk and cycle more every day – to increase health and well-being, reduce vehicles on our roads, and to protect the environment.
“Today’s phase five update shows the good progress that’s been made since work started earlier this year. Three new footbridges are built and installed, to replace older structures with better alternatives that are more suitable for active travel. We’ve also seen two new pedestrian and cycle links created near Tylorstown Surgery and Rhondda Fach Leisure Centre. I’m looking forward to further progress being made in the weeks and months ahead, as we’re on course to complete the final part of the entire 10k route in the spring.”
Details about the first four phases of the route are summarised below:
- Phase one was completed in late 2023. It created the northernmost section of the overall active travel route, from a location north of the Maerdy industrial estate to a point near the Gateway Memorial.
- Phase two was completed during 2024, resuming the route south of phase one. Starting from the Gateway Memorial, it stretches through Maerdy for 1.5km, following the alignment of the former railway line.
- Phase three will improve the existing cycle path in Maerdy and create a new 1.5km path leading to Richard Street and Ferndale Swimming Pool. This phase received planning consent in June 2024 and continues to be in development, with funding continuing to be sought for its delivery.
- Phase four was completed in 2025, upgrading the old railway line across Ferndale – from a point north of Ffaldau Terrace (near Maerdy) to a point near Dolycoed Funeral Home (Tylorstown). It included a new link to Avon Street (Ferndale) and construction of two new footbridges at Blaenllechau.
Posted on 20/11/2025