Active travel work finishes this month

Work on the creation of a £1.5m safe pedestrian and cycle route linking both Pencoed and Coychurch to Bridgend will be completed by the end of this month (March).

Work has been ongoing on the new routes for the last few months with traffic measures and diversions in place.

The project involves the construction of:
- A shared pedestrian and cycle route between Brackla and Bridgend town centre. Work started on the £265,000 scheme in early January.
- A shared pedestrian and cycle route connecting Coychurch with both the Waterton Industrial Estate and Retail Park. Work on the £550,000 project started in October. This is part of a larger route, connecting Bridgend town centre to the Pencoed campus of Bridgend College.
- A shared pedestrian and cycle route between Pencoed and the Pencoed Technology Park. Work started on the £750,000 scheme in October.

We recognise the temporary inconvenience to drivers with ongoing roadworks and traffic measures in place but we ask people to bear with us as we finish - all three projects will be completed by the end of March.

These active travel routes will make a huge difference, enabling people to walk or cycle and leave their cars at home, reducing both congestion and environmental pollution. It will also help employment in the area, enabling those without cars or without access to public transport to get to more locations by walking or cycling.

We want to do everything possible to make it easier for people to choose a healthier, greener form of travel for shorter, everyday journeys and set a trend that can be continued by future generations.

Cabinet member for communities Richard Young

As part of the work, there have been lane closures on the A473 to create a new pedestrian crossing at the Felindre Road roundabout.

A temporary 50mph speed restriction from the Pencoed campus of Bridgend College to Junction 35 on the M4 will last for 18 months. It is in force in both directions.

The Pencoed active travel route was due to be finished at the end of February but due to a number of unexpected issues arising over statutory authority works, it will now be completed at the end of March.

Where possible, works are being undertaken outside of peak rush hour times.

Over the last year more than £3.6m worth of transport and active travel improvements have been made in the county borough as part of the local authority’s decarbonisation agenda.

The funding, from the Welsh Government, was awarded to Bridgend County Borough Council for the construction of new safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists, new active travel routes, accessibility improvements at a number of bus stops, and to provide road safety and cycling training for schoolchildren as well as Pass Plus courses for new drivers.

The local authority is currently in the process of submitting further funding bids for more schemes.