Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd The Rt Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP and Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Mabon ap Gwynfor has slammed the First Minister of Wales for her ‘clueless’ response to a question about serious delays in assessing safety concerns on the A494 and A470 in Dolgellau. 

Mr ap Gwynfor was previously assured that work to assess the safety on the A494 and A470 would begin in 2023 but there has been no progress. It is understood that work is unlikely to be carried out until at least 2025/26.

Recent figures from North Wales Police reveal that from the 1st of January 2022 to the 31st of July 2023, there have been a total of 2 fatalities, 9 serious and 3 slight collisions on the A494 with a further 19 damage-only collisions and 34 non reportable collisions reported to the police in this period.

Speaking in the Senedd Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said:

I have repeatedly raised concerns about safety on the A494 between Dolgellau and Corwen and the A470 at Llanelltyd. We have received repeated assurances that road safety assessments will being made but we are still waiting and there has been no progress. As a result, people are still being injured on these roads and are fearful of using these routes. What is the government doing exactly to improve safety on the A494 and A470 near Dolgellau?

Mr ap Gwynfor added:  

The A494 between Dolgellau and Corwen and the A470 at Llanelltyd has seen several serious and fatal accidents yet work already promised to improve safety on this notorious road has been put on indefinite hold, despite repeated assurances from Ministers. The First Minister’s response today showed she has no clue as to what is happening regarding safety on the A494 and A470. This ongoing dithering and delay is a kick in the teeth to local people who are rightly frustrated at the lack of progress in tackling this pressing issue. My constituents want to see these measures delivered, not mealy-mouthed excuses. People living in communities along the A494 and A470 such as Llanuwchllyn, Rhydymain, Llanfor, Glan-yr-Afon and Llanelltyd have grown accustomed to lengthy road closures and emergency vehicles descending on yet another serious accident. I received repeated assurances from Ministers that work to address this issue was afoot, but we’ve heard nothing for months. I call on the First Minister to look again at the pressing need to improve safety on the A494 and A470 and bring forward the work programme, including an initial safety assessment of the roads at the earliest opportunity so that my constituents can be assured that measures are afoot to address this worsening problem.