More than £2m of extra funding will go towards plans for a link road in the Cynon Valley in South Wales. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has confirmed that £2.01m has been awarded by Welsh Government through the Cardiff Capital Region towards the further development of the Cynon Gateway Link Road, says Nation Cymru.
The Welsh Government funding is provided through the Cardiff Capital Region Regional Transport Fund 26/27, with the goal to make local transport more accessible for everyone and help people get around more easily.
The funding is in addition to the £603,000 set aside for the project within the council’s highways and engineering 2026/27 capital programme agreed by cabinet on March 18.
The council says that the scheme is a key part of Cardiff Capital Region’s five-year Regional Transport Plan, and that it will help to improve connectivity in the north of the Cynon Valley to support the area’s long term growth.
The Cynon Gateway Link Road is a 1.2km link road that will connect the A4059 Aberdare Bypass to the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road. The aim is to strengthen north-south transport links between Llwydcoed and Penywaun, improve access across the area, and help ease congestion on local routes.
The scheme also forms part of wider plans to improve transport connectivity and support economic growth in the Cynon Valley.
As the council has continued to work on the scheme in recent years, AtkinsRéalis was appointed in September 2025 to support delivery of the project.
In February 2023, the scheme was put on hold due to the Welsh Government’s roads review but in August 2024 it was announced that revised plans were being drawn up with a view to going ahead with it.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and cabinet member for infrastructure and investment, said:
“This is positive news for Rhondda Cynon Taf and especially for the north of the Cynon Valley. The Cynon Gateway Link Road is an important project that has the potential to improve connections, tackle long-standing transport challenges and support future investment in the area.
“We welcome this significant £2.01m from Welsh Government and Cardiff Capital Region, which builds on the council funding already committed to the project for 2026/27.
“It means we can continue moving this major scheme forward and keep up the momentum behind a project that is important for local communities and the wider regional economy.
(Picture: Rhondda Cynon Taf Council)
