Drivers face 70-mile diversion for hole in road repairs

A section of the main road between north and south Wales will close for up to 12 weeks from Monday.

Since a hole appeared in the A470 in Talerddig, Powys, only one carriageway has been open with traffic lights controlling the flow of vehicles.

The repair work was postponed in the autumn after a train crash in the village.

Drivers now face a 70-mile diversion, and children will travel to school on trains.

The Welsh government said it understood the essential work would cause disruption and advised people to plan ahead.

In November 2023 part of a retaining wall collapsed leaving the hole.

The wall is more than 5m (16ft) tall, with a river below it.

When the work was planned for the autumn, the closure period was seven weeks, but a water main needs to be diverted now rather than just suspending it per the original plan. More time has also been added to allow for working in winter.

The government said pedestrians and cyclists would have access through the works, but at certain times could be asked to wait before being guided through the site by marshals.

The diversion, heading east from Talerddig, takes drivers through Caersws, Newtown and Welshpool before rejoining the A470 at Mallwyd.

Chloe, who lives in Machynlleth, has an eight-year-son, JJ, with additional learning needs, who travels in a taxi to a special school.

"It's 30 miles from here to his school, every day without any additional detour," she said.

"I have spoken to him about it - he is not keen on doing the route that he may have to do, because it's a change in his routine, which is quite difficult for him."

Chloe said JJ's journey to school takes an hour when the road is open - the additional detour will make the journey at least half and hour longer in each direction.

She thinks the first week when the diversion is in place could be "extremely tricky" and she may have to take time off work to take JJ to school herself if "he needs additional support in the car".

Heledd, who lives in the village, will have to be taken by bus to a railway station to catch a train to school with her fellow pupils, which she says will add two hours to her journey.

"When you've got tough lessons and then you've got a long journey home, it's not ideal," she said.

Heledd's father Ifan, a community councillor, is concerned about vehicles avoiding the closure by using a narrow back road in the area instead of the official diversion.

Ifan said: "At this time of year, the verges are soft. The laybys can only handle maybe one car, two at the most on some."

A 7.5 tonne weight limit has been imposed on vehicles using the narrow back road.

Councillor Elwyn Vaughan said: "There are very few passing spaces and it's single track.

"And my understanding is that the contractor will have somebody at the point in Talerddig to monitor and try to discourage those types of vehicles from using the road."