Rhondda Cynon Taf council has issued an update after "extremely dangerous conditions" forced a major Valleys road to shut. Rhigos Mountain Road has been closed since mid-August after a wildfire melted fencing along the roadside, allowing boulders to fall onto the road.
Over the last few weeks specialist rope access contractors have been on site removing loose material and inspecting netting to assess full scale of damage. Emergency works are underway to make the area safe while concrete barriers are being placed to protect passing traffic once these works are completed.
Read more: Lorry fire closes part of A465 Heads of the Valleys road
In a statement from the council on Friday, August 26 it was announced that Rhigos Mountain Road may re-open later this week. In a further update on Wednesday, September 31, councillor for Mountain Ash West and Labour leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, Andrew Morgan, shared an updated announcement on his social media.
In a video shared on his Twitter page, he said: "The Maerdy Road is due to open on Friday this week (September 2). The work has gone very well there and the intention is it'll be open by Friday evening. Nearly all the work is now complete." He apologised for the disruption caused to road users after years of works.
Speaking of Rhigos Mountain Road, he said: "Unfortunately at the same time we had the fire on the Rhigos. That caused significant damage. Emergency works we're carrying out are costing around £150,000. We've had to put temporary netting on there. The good news is that road is also likely to be open by Friday evening this week."
People were asked to stay away from the road, and Maerdy Mountain Road was reopened earlier than planned to help with traffic flow. The Maerdy mountain road had been closed since July 4 so the council could repair a section of the slope below the highway.
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