BBC: £24m Dyfi Bridge plans go on show at Machynlleth

[rhyds]

I was also surprised at how high and long the elevated section is, but understandable given the fact the Dyfi is tidal as far as the current Dyfi bridge.

[IAN]

Fly through updated to October 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT8NhGZ ... raethCymru

[Bryn666]

I was also surprised at how high and long the elevated section is, but understandable given the fact the Dyfi is tidal as far as the current Dyfi bridge.

It's certainly very impressive. Does Monbiot still have his Clio? Perhaps he can be the inaugural driver

In all seriousness, this will provide a huge amount of resilience in a very weak point in the Welsh road network and is exactly the kind of "good" road construction we should as a country support. It's there to keep a town alive by it not being cut off every time there's a light drizzle, not enable the installation of 2,000 Amazon sheds with no consideration of how the surrounding area will handle the extra traffic.

[rhyds]

Its not just the flooding that was the issue, but rather the near constant incidents (every 3-6 months on average) of the bridge parapet/side being smashed out by turning HGVs on what is a trunk road. That was always a pain as it would involve unmanaged 3-way lights, having to fish out all the old stone from the bottom of the river (because listed) and then having the same thing happen again soon after.

[Chris Bertram]

I was also surprised at how high and long the elevated section is, but understandable given the fact the Dyfi is tidal as far as the current Dyfi bridge.

It's certainly very impressive. Does Monbiot still have his Clio? Perhaps he can be the inaugural driver

Monbiot got divorced from his Welsh wife in 2010 and no longer lives in the area. He's back in Oxford where he probably manages mostly without a car.

[rhyds]

Monbiot got divorced from his Welsh wife in 2010 and no longer loves in the area. He's back in Oxford where he probably manages mostly without a car.

Makes sense if his ex lives nearby...

[Chris Bertram]

Monbiot got divorced from his Welsh wife in 2010 and no longer loves in the area. He's back in Oxford where he probably manages mostly without a car.

Makes sense if his ex lives nearby...

Gah! Freudian slip.

[KeithW]

Its not just the flooding that was the issue, but rather the near constant incidents (every 3-6 months on average) of the bridge parapet/side being smashed out by turning HGVs on what is a trunk road. That was always a pain as it would involve unmanaged 3-way lights, having to fish out all the old stone from the bottom of the river (because listed) and then having the same thing happen again soon after.

Google Street View shows plenty of evidence of that.

[Bryn666]

Its not just the flooding that was the issue, but rather the near constant incidents (every 3-6 months on average) of the bridge parapet/side being smashed out by turning HGVs on what is a trunk road. That was always a pain as it would involve unmanaged 3-way lights, having to fish out all the old stone from the bottom of the river (because listed) and then having the same thing happen again soon after.

Yes, all round a positive improvement. More like this and less crummy developer spine nonsense please.

[IAN]

There was some pressure for the new scheme to include a bypass of Machynlleth. I've driven through the town regularly, from the east and north/south, and have never encountered any significant traffic issues so I feel that it would be unnecessary.

[rhyds]

There was some pressure for the new scheme to include a bypass of Machynlleth. I've driven through the town regularly, from the east and north/south, and have never encountered any significant traffic issues so I feel that it would be unnecessary.

It can clog up during the summer as English Midlands traffic heads for the coast via the A489. The issue is that said heavy traffic comes hammering up to the Clock Tower A487/A489 junction and has to just sort itself out. Outside of the summer peaks as you say its not really an issue.

[Bryn666]

There was some pressure for the new scheme to include a bypass of Machynlleth. I've driven through the town regularly, from the east and north/south, and have never encountered any significant traffic issues so I feel that it would be unnecessary.

It can clog up during the summer as English Midlands traffic heads for the coast via the A489. The issue is that said heavy traffic comes hammering up to the Clock Tower A487/A489 junction and has to just sort itself out. Outside of the summer peaks as you say its not really an issue.

I imagine politically there might be some upturned noses at the idea of making Wales more accessible to second home owners from England too, if experience further up the coast is anything to go by. There's a real razor sharp tightrope of keeping Mid Wales almost off the beaten track to preserve its unique Welshness and opening it up but at the risk of making it all a 90 minute drive from Birmingham and thus "let's have our otherwise empty holiday cottage there".

The A55 certainly did this with making people from Cheshire be within an hour and a bit of Abersoch...

[fras]

A few trips on the A55 will soon put off any prospective 2nd home owners !

[Bryn666]

A few trips on the A55 will soon put off any prospective 2nd home owners !

Given average house prices in Abersoch are over £600,000 now, I'd suggest not. Even easier to get to with the new A487 (needed for vastly many other reasons).

[danfw194]

Re the bypass, was there any sketch of an idea/plan for where locals had wanted it to be? I'd be interested to know where the most significant traffic flow is through this town. One would automatically assume it's A487-A487, but with a cursory glance at the map a strong case could be made that A487 (Aberystwyth end)-A489 could be the most significant, with the English traffic as has been pointed out. Personally only ever driven through the town once, but I fancy a return trip to take in this bridge once completed.

[IAN]

Re the bypass, was there any sketch of an idea/plan for where locals had wanted it to be? I'd be interested to know where the most significant traffic flow is through this town. One would automatically assume it's A487-A487, but with a cursory glance at the map a strong case could be made that A487 (Aberystwyth end)-A489 could be the most significant, with the English traffic as has been pointed out. Personally only ever driven through the town once, but I fancy a return trip to take in this bridge once completed.

This councillor has been very vocal in suggesting a bypass for the town but it’s not clear how many others share his views.

https://north.wales/news/gwynedd/govt-u ... 11205.html

[rhyds]

Re the bypass, was there any sketch of an idea/plan for where locals had wanted it to be? I'd be interested to know where the most significant traffic flow is through this town. One would automatically assume it's A487-A487, but with a cursory glance at the map a strong case could be made that A487 (Aberystwyth end)-A489 could be the most significant, with the English traffic as has been pointed out. Personally only ever driven through the town once, but I fancy a return trip to take in this bridge once completed.

This councillor has been very vocal in suggesting a bypass for the town but it’s not clear how many others share his views.

https://north.wales/news/gwynedd/govt-u ... 11205.html

Problem is that Mke Stevens is

1) A Cyngor Gwynedd Councillor for Tywyn, about 15 miles away and in another county

2) Now an ex councillor https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north- ... t-22426893


The problem with bypassing Machynlleth is that there's not an easy way to do it while providing relief for both the A489 and A487 routes. Also, given the traffic levels, even with the current roadworks for the bridge, don't really cause a problem for 90% of the time I doubt the trunk road agency is going to consider any serious plans. Add to that the fact that few in Welsh Government/Labour are going to want to target Sir Drefaldwyn/Montgomeryshire (Currently Conservative, previously LD) or Dwyfor Meirionydd (Plaid stronghold) I doubt there's going to be much more done than this. Remember the Welsh Government only agreed to this project because at the time they needed Lib Dem votes to pass their budget.

[rhyds]

There was some pressure for the new scheme to include a bypass of Machynlleth. I've driven through the town regularly, from the east and north/south, and have never encountered any significant traffic issues so I feel that it would be unnecessary.

It can clog up during the summer as English Midlands traffic heads for the coast via the A489. The issue is that said heavy traffic comes hammering up to the Clock Tower A487/A489 junction and has to just sort itself out. Outside of the summer peaks as you say its not really an issue.

I imagine politically there might be some upturned noses at the idea of making Wales more accessible to second home owners from England too, if experience further up the coast is anything to go by. There's a real razor sharp tightrope of keeping Mid Wales almost off the beaten track to preserve its unique Welshness and opening it up but at the risk of making it all a 90 minute drive from Birmingham and thus "let's have our otherwise empty holiday cottage there".

The A55 certainly did this with making people from Cheshire be within an hour and a bit of Abersoch...

Roads projects don't really affect second home buyers, otherwise areas like the English Lakes and Peaks or Cornwall would have very few. North Wales got popular because those who's budget didn't stretch to Cornwall needed somewhere else to go.

As for local views on roads projects, I'd say the vast majority in places like Caernarfon, Porthmadog and Drenewydd/Newtown welcome bypasses. Each of these towns is more than capable of attracting traffic and tourism without having to force long distance traffic through their centres. Porthmadog for example is now a popular local destination for shopping with major supermarkets like Tesco, Aldi and Lidl easily accessible. Before the bypass it wasn't worth even trying to get there during the summer as you'd easily spend an hour trying to get in to town, let alone getting to a shop.

[IAN]

As for local views on roads projects, I'd say the vast majority in places like Caernarfon, Porthmadog and Drenewydd/Newtown welcome bypasses. Each of these towns is more than capable of attracting traffic and tourism without having to force long distance traffic through their centres. Porthmadog for example is now a popular local destination for shopping with major supermarkets like Tesco, Aldi and Lidl easily accessible. Before the bypass it wasn't worth even trying to get there during the summer as you'd easily spend an hour trying to get in to town, let alone getting to a shop.

There is also an old thread about whether bypasses are always wanted by local inhabitants. viewtopic.php?t=37227&hilit=rhayader

[Osthagen]

There was some pressure for the new scheme to include a bypass of Machynlleth. I've driven through the town regularly, from the east and north/south, and have never encountered any significant traffic issues so I feel that it would be unnecessary.

I found it really busy during peak holiday season.