A Cardiff bus passenger has reported taking around two hours to travel six miles as a number of major highway projects and utility works continue across the Welsh capital.
Several significant schemes are currently affecting the city’s road network, including works on Castle Street, Callaghan Square and Kingsway, alongside roadworks on Lamby Way and in Llandaff North and Whitchurch.
The scale of the ongoing works has led to congestion on a number of key routes, with Castle Street and its surrounding approaches particularly affected, reports Wales Online.
Work on Castle Street began on 23 February to make a temporary road layout and cycleway permanent. The scheme is intended to introduce a fully segregated cycleway, upgraded junctions, improved footways, enhanced bus infrastructure and new landscaping, alongside resurfacing.
Although Castle Street remains open to traffic, congestion has regularly extended through Duke Street and towards North Road. Temporary traffic signals have also been installed at the junction of Castle Street and Westgate Street.
The impact on bus journeys has been highlighted by one commuter, who said a journey from north Cardiff into the city centre had taken significantly longer than usual.
They said: “I got the first bus of the day from north Cardiff and usually make it to the city centre by 7.45am but we hit the traffic at the bottom of Cathedral Road and it took about 25 minutes to get from there to Westgate Street. It was chaos.”
The reported delays come as other major works are taking place elsewhere in the city.
On Lamby Way, a substantial programme of roadworks is under way, while gas mains replacement works are also affecting routes in Llandaff North and Whitchurch.
Cardiff Council said the Castle Street project was necessary to support cleaner air and provide safer and more sustainable travel options in the city centre.
A council spokesperson said: “The work taking place on Castle Street is necessary to deliver cleaner air, safer and more sustainable travel options, and a more attractive city centre.
“The scheme includes a range of improvements, including a fully segregated cycleway, upgraded junctions, resurfaced roads, improved footways, enhanced bus infrastructure, and new landscaping.”
The council said the Castle Street works were originally expected to take approximately 52 weeks to complete.
It added that the programme had been adjusted slightly following the discovery of ground conditions requiring additional work, but said it was working with the contractor to keep the project within the overall completion schedule.
“Major projects of this scale and complexity are planned with contingencies to ensure progress can be maintained where additional work is identified during construction,” the spokesperson said.
“Following the discovery of ground conditions requiring further work, the programme has been adjusted slightly, however we are working closely with the contractor so that the project remains within the overall completion schedule.”
(Picture: Yay Images)
