Cynon Gateway link road resurrected

Plans for the £50m Cynon Gateway North link road have been restarted by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council in South Wales following the removal of a government roads freeze.

Intended to reduce congestion through Llwydcoed and Penywaun, the 1.2km highway will link the A4059 Aberdare Bypass east of Penywaun to the new Croesbychan roundabout on the A465 Heads of the Valleys road.

First developed over a decade ago, the plans were originally scrapped in 2021 when the Welsh Government implemented a nationwide spending freeze for new highways schemes. However, the council is now able to launch a contractor engagement process prior to a full tender, which is expected to be published on 3 November.

However, policy changes that followed the Government’s response to the Welsh roads review mean that projects deemed to be ‘regionally important’ can now proceed, as long as they:

• Support a modal shift and reduce carbon emissions.
• Improve safety through small-scale changes.
• Adapt to the impacts of climate change.
• Provide access and connectivity to jobs and centres of economic activity in a way that supports modal shift.

Construction for the scheme is currently scheduled to start in May 2026 and is expected to run for three years.

The council plans to hold a contractor engagement event on 17 October 2025 to give suppliers 'an overview of the requirements' of the scheme prior to the tender process.

More information on the contract, tender process and how to apply can be found here.