Bontnewydd bypass given go ahead

A MULTI million pound traffic alleviation project has been given the green light.

But it will not be known for some time which route will be adopted for the controversial Caernarfon and Bontnewydd bypass.

Transport Minister Carl Sargeant yesterday confirmed that the scheme had been prioritised in the Welsh Government’s National Transport Plan – despite budget cuts to infrastructure projects of up to 40% – in what has been branded a “tough financial settlement”.

It is understood that if all goes to plan, work on the bypass could start in 2014.

Advisors have now been appointed to see how they can drive forward the project which will affect communities along the A487 and motorists across a vast part of the county.

Whilst a decision on the matter has been welcomed, critics of the scheme are unhappy that the proposed route for the scheme has still not been revealed.

Arfon AM Alun Ffred Jones said: “I am disappointed that we are none the wiser which route this road will take. This is unacceptable and the people living along the proposed routes deserve a quick response.

“Unfortunately we have had no opportunity to question the Minister after he made his announcement.

“I will be pressing him on this vital matter.”

Bontnewydd councillor Chris Hughes said: “I congratulate the Welsh Government on giving the scheme the go ahead.

“Obviously, there is a real need for such a measure.

“However, I cannot give a proper opinion on the matter until the bypass route is unveiled.

“The biggest worry for local residents is not if the bypass scheme will happen, but the route that will be adopted.”

The announcement has come following almost nine month’s worth of delays by the Welsh Government, with a decision originally expected in March this year.

A bypass for Bontnewydd has been mooted for the past few years with the Welsh Government having previously stated that action was needed to stop increasingly heavy volumes of traffic travelling along the A487, causing chaos for residents and drivers.

The first consultation process for the bypass project was launched in March 2010 with several high-tech exhibitions showing the preferred routes that the Welsh Government and consultants Parson Brinckerhoff (PB) and TACP architects wanted to implement.

Following much discussion and feedback, the Government went back to the drawing board, scrapping five routes and bringing another four to the table.

A second and final consultation phase was launched in early November 2010 and ended earlier this year.

The advisors, chosen by the government, will now have the task of choosing one of the six bypass routes still on the table.