A controversial new roundabout has been dogged by reports of crashes and near-misses but it will soon become "much more obvious there is a roundabout present", according to the Welsh Government. The Croesbychan roundabout, which connects side roads from Hirwaun and Llwydcoed onto the A465, has temporarily replaced a staggered T-junction since May while the Court Lodge underbridge is built. Recent weeks have seen a series of reported crashes including a three-vehicle pileup on New Year's Eve which left an eight-year-old boy traumatised and with minor head injuries.
The Welsh Government scheme has prompted a wave of social media complaints that people can "drive straight through it without even noticing a roundabout" at the "dangerous" spot. Councillors Karen Morgan and Adam Owain Rogers – who represent Hirwaun, Penderyn, and Rhigos – said in a Facebook post on Thursday: "We attended a meeting this morning with the contractors and again shared the many concerns we have received about incidents and near-misses. Future Valleys stated that signage is adequate and they have recently installed extra lighting. They also explained the constraints to making any other changes to the roundabout (space being the main factor).
"If work progresses as planned there will be changes to the layout of the roundabout in the next six to eight weeks which hopefully will reduce the risk of drivers who treat it as a straight-through road. Future Valleys said they were unaware of many of the incidents/near-misses we described."
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People have commented on social media that there was a second crash at the roundabout on New Year's Eve and another one on December 23. One woman responded to the councillors' announcement: "Let’s hope we can get through the next eight weeks without there being a fatality. Every day there are near-misses and a lorry went straight through today leaving me in the middle of the roundabout. Will report it. I know my daughter and another car owner whose cars have been written off in last three weeks."
A Welsh Government spokesman said roadworks are ongoing for the next "planned traffic management switch" which will take the A465 traffic to the southern side of the new Croesbychan junction. This will allow the construction of a grade-separated junction and two bridges. The new layout will remove the roundabout's eastern arm towards Baverstock. It will reduce speed and "make it much more obvious there is a roundabout present to reduce the risk of drivers missing the give-way line", according to the government.
One man commented under the councillors' post: "Thanks for doing all you can but I witnessed a very, very near miss yesterday. A car just kept driving through the roundabout as if there was no junction or roundabout visible and at approximately 11am this morning a lorry done [sic] the same to myself. Traffic lights would take no space and would definitely stop a fatality that is waiting to happen."
Another local resident wrote: "I’ve just sent an email as it happened to us again. If we hadn’t flashed our lights to alert the car and stopped on the roundabout she would have just ploughed into us last night. I will email now every single time this happens. Why should we wait six to eight weeks for the problem to resolve? Put the correct signage up and get the traffic from Trewaun more aware of this roundabout before someone is killed." And one woman complained: "Just sent an email [to the contractor] after our seventh near miss Wednesday on this roundabout.... I am a very angry and scared passenger these days."
You can read more about the crash which injured an eight-year-old boy here. The government says Future Valleys' traffic management team has not attended any incidents since New Year's Eve. Additional lighting was installed immediately after the incident.
The councillors' post urged residents to report incidents at the roundabout to Future Valleys at A465enquiries@futurevalleysconstruction.com. You can read more of the latest traffic stories here.
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