Drivers warned of disruption on busy Cardiff road ahead of essential works

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2 days ago

Drivers warned of disruption on busy Cardiff road ahead of essential works
Cardiff Council said the road closure is needed in order to carry out essential works on replacing a 70-year-old culvert
St Fagans Road in Cardiff
(Image: Google Street View )
Drivers are being warned of disruption on a busy Cardiff road from this week as the city council looks to replace a 70-year-old culvert. Cardiff Council said lane closures will be put in place on St Fagans Road between Cartwright Lane and Fairwater Road from Wednesday, June 11.
The lane closure, which will be in place for five weeks, is to ensure utilities can be diverted for the replacement of the old waterway which passes under St Fagans Road in Fairwater.
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Once the utilities have been diverted, St Fagans Road at the junction with Cartwright Lane will close between Friday, July 25 and Tuesday, September 2. Never miss a Cardiff story and sign up to our newsletter here.
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Cardiff Council's cabinet member for waste, street scene and environmental services, Cllr Norma Mackie, said: "This scheme involves essential work on the highway to ensure that water from the stream can be channelled under the road.
"Due to the age of the structure, it must be replaced to ensure that it does not fail.
"Due to the possible disruption this work will cause, the culvert is being replaced during the summer holidays when there is less traffic on the highway network.
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"A diversion route has been put in place for local residents to navigate around the works and we have also been working with bus companies to reduce the impact on their services.
"Those who do not live locally are advised to use main routes, such as the A48, Cowbridge Road West, Western Avenue and Llantrisant Road.
"We would like to thank residents for their patience while this essential work takes place."
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The course of the stream which goes under St Fagans Road goes through private land by The Fairwater Hotel, south along Cartwright Lane before being discharged into the River Ely.
Residents in the area have received a letter about the scheme and a local diversion route will be signposted via Cartwright Lane, Bwlch Road, Norbury Road or Doyle Avenue.
Cardiff Council has been criticised in the past for the length of time it has taken to fix waterways in the city.
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Residents on the north western edge of Cardiff said they have complained for years about flooding and blocked culverts.
A Cardiff Council ward member for Pentyrch and St Fagans, Cllr Rhys Livesy, said in July 2024 that he often found himself "scrambling from one urgent flooding case to another".
At the same time, a resident living across the road from a steep lane in the ward called Star Lane said regular bouts of flooding had "ripped my driveway to shreds".
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When asked about the flooding issues in Pentyrch and St Fagans in 2024, a council spokesperson said remedial work was taking place.
They also said capacity needs to be created so they can put in additional drainage.
The spokesperson added: "It isn't as easy as just putting in an additional drain.
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"This is exceptionally expensive, but the council does use the available resources to improve the drainage system.
"The council has a committed team of staff that work across the city to clear 80,000 gullies especially in areas that are prone to flooding.'