The B4601 in Brecon, new roundabout for Cambrian Way
The B4601 is essentially the former route of the A40 through Brecon. The new bypass was built c. 1980 and, rather unusually, the B4520 was not extended along the route at all, even though this would have been standard practice elsewhere in the country.
We start at the eastern end of the town, at a roundabout where the A40 and A470 meet, to multiplex west along the southern bypass; the A470's former route is now the B4602. The first section of the B4601 is fairly straight and wide, as befits a former A-road, running alongside the canal before diverging slightly. Even then the road remains good, but as we approach the town centre things deteriorate a little. The B4602 joins on the right, and almost immediately we reach the one-way system, forking left onto Glamorgan Street, and then turning north along Wheat Street to reach traffic lights and rejoin traffic heading the other way.
Traffic heading east through Brecon on the B4601 uses Ship Street through the town centre, meeting the end of the B4520 in the small 'square'. Or, at least it should. In fact eastbound traffic is signed around the northern edge of the town centre along Market Street, Mount Street and past the supermarkets and car parks to rejoin the B4601 at a mini-roundabout next to the Camden Arms at Watton. Along the way, it crosses both the B4520 and B4602 at traffic lights.
From the northern end of Wheat Street we turn left onto Ship Street to cross the ancient Usk Bridge onto Bridge Street. After the bridge, the road quickly returns to its former wide and straight (ish) style, once more reminding us that this was once the A40. This leads out along Church Street and Newgate Street to where the A40 and A470 diverge at the western end of the bypass.
