Llandeilo bypass start date confirmation sought after delay

Assurances have been sought that construction on a long-awaited bypass for Carmarthenshire will start on time.

Llandeilo residents have been demanding action for more than 40 years and the Welsh Government announced a year ago construction would start in late 2019.

But Plaid Cymru's Adam Price said up to six months of appraisal work was due to be completed this summer but had not started by early December.

The Welsh Government said work was now "well under way".

Llandeilo's main street on the A483 is currently used as a route from Swansea to join the A40 to the Midlands.

It suffers from heavy congestion as lorries squeeze through the main street and air pollution levels have been found to exceed national standards.

Construction will take two years to complete. Last year, the Welsh Government announced £50m funding for the route.

"I am concerned that the timetable for Llandeilo bypass has already slipped, with a potential for it to have a 10 month delay in its initial stage," said Mr Price, AM for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr.

However, he added: "The indicative timetable does allow space for the Welsh Government to catch up and start construction in 2019 as planned. But, in order to meet that date, it must get its act together."

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: "Work to develop, appraise and evaluate the proposed Llandeilo bypass project under the Welsh transport appraisal guidance is well under way with workshops planned for January and February.

"We plan to provide more information on scheme options on our website in the new year."