How do you sort a problem like Machynlleth?

[rhyds]

Well it's that time of year again when Machynlleth suffers flooding of the A487 to the north and south, causing a right pain in the backside for the residents. Of course, once the flood waters recede your still left with the legacy of the Dyfi bridge. A listed relic that gets hit by HGVs more often than a transport cafe's car park, not helped by the railway bridge to the south that turns in to a swimming pool under heavy rain.

As a non-engineer, the only way I can work out how to fix the northern side of the mess is a new bridge and a bypass of the town, unless some kind of pump system like on the Dolgellau bypass can be used to empty the sump under the brige.

South of the town at Derwenlas however I can't think of a way of sorting it. The section that floods is right next to the railway line, and both are usually badly flooded out.

Google maps links for reference:

Dyfi bridge

Railway bridge

Derwenlas flood area

[Jam35]

A by-pass like this maybe?

[Bryn666]

Would Monbiot want a bypass?!

[Tinpusher]

A by-pass like this maybe?

Right through the golf course, lovely.

A perfect way to bring out the NIMBYs...People who are independently wealthy enough to resist anything that could bring economic development into the area to help out the plebs and unworthies.

[M4 Cardiff]

Unfortunately the terrain to the south and west of the town looks rather hilly for that route, however the eastern bypass looks reasonable.

[Jam35]

Hence the diagonal route along the face of the hills, then aiming for the lowest possible gap. Sorting out Machynlleth properly looks like it's inevitably going to be very expensive.

[Conekicker]

A good first step would be to change the spelling to something easier...

Just saying like.

[nowster]

A good first step would be to change the spelling to something easier...

Drat! I was just about to post something very similar.

[AAndy]

A good first step would be to change the spelling to something easier...

Drat! I was just about to post something very similar.

Locally it's just known as 'mach'(mack), much like llandrindod wells is just 'llandod'

A raised section like they wouldn't think twice about on the continent would do the trick and could even provide a 'bypass' to the west.

[WHBM]

I've heard some belters for the pronunciation of it over time.

"Mack-in-lik".

"Mack-eyler-neath".

Come on someone local, give the best phoenetic version.

[AAndy]

I've heard some belters for the pronunciation of it over time.

"Mack-in-lik".

"Mack-eyler-neath".

Come on someone local, give the best phoenetic version.

the correct phonetic pronunciation gives a lot of spit, mahggghh- un - lltheth

[nowster]

Come on someone local, give the best phoenetic version.

Ma-[clear throat]-un-[shower with spit]-eth.

(I'm going to get lynched for that.)

[FosseWay]

A good first step would be to change the spelling to something easier...

Drat! I was just about to post something very similar.

It's not the spelling youse have got a problem with... It's very phonetically accurate according to the rules of Welsh pronunciation, as Welsh generally is.

Candidates for spelling changes are mostly to be found in England -- Leominster, Shrewardine, Wymondham, Happisburgh and so on. Scotland gets an honourable mention with places like Milngavie.

[Chris Bertram]

Candidates for spelling changes are mostly to be found in England -- Leominster, Shrawardine, Wymondham, Happisburgh and so on. Scotland gets an honourable mention with places like Milngavie.

Yup, could change to "Lemster", "Shrayden", "Windham", "Hazebra" and "Milguy". I also like "Wemyss", which is "Weems", "Postwick" ("Possick") and "Daventry" ("Daintry"). Let's also remember the hundreds of towns and villages caled "-wick" where the "w" is elided, and the many instances of "Kirkby" that lose the middle "k" when pronounced.

Personally, I blame the Normans who never could quite manage Anglo-Saxon names.

[RichardA35]

Well it's that time of year again when Machynlleth suffers flooding of the A487 to the north and south, causing a right pain in the backside for the residents. Of course, once the flood waters recede your still left with the legacy of the Dyfi bridge. A listed relic that gets hit by HGVs more often than a transport cafe's car park, not helped by the railway bridge to the south that turns in to a swimming pool under heavy rain.

As a non-engineer, the only way I can work out how to fix the northern side of the mess is a new bridge and a bypass of the town, unless some kind of pump system like on the Dolgellau bypass can be used to empty the sump under the brige.

South of the town at Derwenlas however I can't think of a way of sorting it. The section that floods is right next to the railway line, and both are usually badly flooded out...

A little bit of googling and a look at the regional transport plan brings up this document (0.8MB pdf) which basically says the WAG aren't going to do anything to the old bridge but will carry out a wider study for a new bridge (at which point the cynic in me reckons it will be found to be unaffordable for the calculated benefit).

[wrinkly]

I like the address of the Mid-Wales Trunk Road Agency: Automobile Palace, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells.

I'm not very familiar with the Mach area and don't know the extent of typical flooding, but I've been there a few times. I would have thought a short western bypass would be possible, including a new bridge. There's no need to bypass the A489 as its traffic seems negligible.

[AAndy]

I like the address of the Mid-Wales Trunk Road Agency: Automobile Palace, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells.

I'm not very familiar with the Mach area and don't know the extent of typical flooding, but I've been there a few times. I would have thought a short western bypass would be possible, including a new bridge. There's no need to bypass the A489 as its traffic seems negligible.

That palace in llandod is one of several art deco garages in the town.

One problem Mach has with any bypass would be the railway line which is too low to go under ( flooding) and quite a structure needed to go over, and then its not just a new bridge over a river thats needed, the bridge is above the flood water, the 1/2 mile from the bridge to the town is the flood plain and that is what needs traversing.... so a raised bypass would be most sensible I think

[jlsmith]

Come on someone local, give the best phoenetic version.

Ma-[clear throat]-un-[shower with spit]-eth.

(I'm going to get lynched for that.)

I was on holiday nearby last summer and asked a local to pronounce it for me. She kindly did so three times and I was nowhere nearer being able even to understand it let alone pronounce it.

[Jam35]

Come on someone local, give the best phoenetic version.

It's pronounced exactly as spelt. (Which explains why the area is Cynllaith, but the place in Cynllaith is Machynlleth.)

You can get away with "mă-CUNN-fleth", but if you learn to pronounce the letters CH and LL properly (which really isn't that difficult: R and the WY diphthong are generally much harder), then obviously that would be better.

Candidates for spelling changes are mostly to be found in England -- Leominster, Shrewardine, Wymondham, Happisburgh and so on. Scotland gets an honourable mention with places like Milngavie.

The English ones in Wales can be a pain. Broughton in the Vale of Glamorgan is "Bruffton", but the one in Flintshire is "Brorton" (or at least so claim aviation types), and I haven't a clue about the one in Wrexham.

But even with the Welsh ones, local pronunciation can be a bit off (especially in the south-east). A friend of mine (who is not from Wales) had to have it explained to him that "Bather" was the same place as Beddau.

And then there's that tendency to abbreviate... Aber. Rhos. Mach. (And back on topic!)

One problem Mach has with any bypass would be the railway line which is too low to go under ( flooding) and quite a structure needed to go over, and then its not just a new bridge over a river thats needed, the bridge is above the flood water, the 1/2 mile from the bridge to the town is the flood plain and that is what needs traversing.... so a raised bypass would be most sensible I think

Something like this?

[Chris Bertram]

The English ones in Wales can be a pain. Broughton in the Vale of Glamorgan is "Bruffton", but the one in Flintshire is "Brorton" (or at least so claim aviation types), and I haven't a clue about the one in Wrexham.

Anywhere called "Broughton" will have you guessing. In North Yorkshire, Great Broughton is pronounced "Brow-ton", and I'm pretty sure that there's one somewhere else known as "Broo-ton".