A470 Penloyn to Tan Lan road improvments come to an end

Apr 21 2011 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

AS MAJOR improvements to the A470 trunk road near Llanrwst come to an end, contractor Balfour Beatty has spoken about its involvement in the Assembly’s £203m transport spending plan.

The A470 Penloyn to Tan Lan Improvements Scheme involved the realignment of 2.1km of single carriageway north of Llanrwst.

The scheme involved the reconstruction and realignment of the existing road to improve the severe bends where the new road runs close to the Conwy Valley railway line.

A footway/ cycleway was also created along the route, in addition to a 42m concrete box culvert to act as a route for bat migration along the course of a drainage channel beneath the new road embankment.

Tom Gilfeather, works manager at Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering, oversaw the construction of the new road, which started in April 2010 and saw traffic switch to the new road on February 28.

He said early public consultation was a key factor in its success.

“I engaged with the community, including liaisons with residents and presentations at the Maenan Abbey Hotel,” he explained.

“We have also worked closely with the local fishing club, assisting them with some flood alleviation measures, and built flower beds at Llanrwst North railway station to brighten things up.

“All these small gestures meant a lot to the community.”

Although the work was completed on schedule, Tom said it wasn’t without slight hitches.

“We were badly hit by the winter weather with heavy snowfall, freezing and flood conditions. This really slowed our progress during December and January as a lot of our work operations, such as masonry, concrete and road surfacing, are all extremely weather dependent,” he said.

Llanrwst mayor Christine Humphreys was congratulatory of the scheme, complimenting the new stone walls, which were sourced from Nant Newydd quarry in Anglesey and built by local stonemasons.

Tom added: “The project came with its own unique set of challenges, such as ecological constraints and proximity of the work to the railway line.

“The Assembly made it clear that no traffic management would be permitted during public holidays and the busy summer period, so the works were phased around these periods so that the travelling public took priority.

“Whilst this causes some level of disruption, the public has been very patient and understanding which we’re always grateful for.”