RCT Council has completed significant work to realign a section of the Taff Trail between Trallwn and Cilfynydd following storm damage – with the improved route now reopened for community use.

Work started in early February to realign the route which was submerged during the unprecedented weather of Storm Dennis – resulting in complete erosion of its surface in some locations. The scheme, funded by the Welsh Government, has delivered an improved 3-metre wide path that conforms to current Active Travel guidance, and it reopened to the public on March 18.

This area of the Taff Trail is prone to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall, and has resulted in significant closures of the route. The new path has been built on higher ground, with this new positioning carrying a lower flood risk.

The scheme is a continuation of the Council’s improvement work across the Taff Trail, and the newly-improved section of the route at Cilfynydd links to the Nant Cae Dudwg footbridge. Having reached the end of its design life, the old timber structure was replaced with a safer steel bridge that meets the current standards for cyclists and pedestrians – completed during 2019/20.

Following the reopening of this section of the Taff Trail on Friday, users of the route may notice some minor finishing works over the coming weeks.

Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Highways and Transportation, said: “Repairing damage to infrastructure caused by Storm Dennis, and other storm events, continues to be a Council priority. The work carried out over the past six weeks on this section of Taff Trail between Cilfynydd and Trallwn has brought the shared path back into use for the community – and also ensured it is built on higher ground to alleviate the risk of flooding at this location.

“It closely follows a significant scheme to reopen a section of the Ynyshir Community Route, completed by the beginning of March – following a landslip remediation scheme required due to Storm Dennis. A number of Active Travel locations along the Taff corridor have also been improved since the end of January – with resurfacing, drainage and fencing improvements delivered at a number of locations near Glyntaff, Nantgarw, Cilfynydd and Abercynon.

“The realigned section of the Taff Trail between Trallwn and Cilfynydd has now been future-proofed, as we continue to promote the health, well-being and environmental benefits of Active Travel within our local communities.”