The second phase of a project to build a cycle and foot path between Aberystwyth and Bow Street is due to completed next month – with the third and final phase awaiting funding confirmation.

Giving an update on active travel construction across the county, Ceredigion County Council said that the new section of the shared use path along the A487 near Comins Coch is due to be completed in April.

Phase 1 of the ‘Waunfawr to IBERS Active Travel Link’ was completed in April 2024.

The next section from Dorglwyd Junction up to the bus stop next to Brongwinau Estate is programmed for construction work in the next financial year and once connected this will complete Phases 1 and 2 of the scheme. Shared use paths provide dedicated and safer provision for cyclists and pedestrians to make active travel journeys.

Construction work for the new shared use path is also currently underway near IBERS crossroads which forms one of the sections of Phase 3. A grant funding application has been submitted to Transport for Wales for another section within Phase 3 and if successful, construction work will also commence here next financial year.

Cllr Keith Henson, Cabinet Member for Highways and Environmental Services and Carbon Management, said: “Once complete, this new path will help connect the communities of Bow Street, Penrhyn-coch and Comins Coch for walkers and cyclists, but more importantly they will all be connected to Aberystwyth which is a key service centre for education, transport, leisure and employment in the area.

“Due to the large scale of this scheme, it requires further significant grant funding support before it will be fully complete. However, fantastic progress has been made with construction works on site already and I know that local communities are excited to use this high standard of path provision in the near future.”

In Rhydyfelin, construction work has recently been completed on a new section of footway to help improve connectivity between off-road sections of the Ystwyth Trail. Pedestrian access is now also improved from the village centre to the Ystwyth Trail. New traffic calming measures have been installed to help improve road safety for the remaining on-road linking section and also in response to local residents concerns that this road was being used as a ‘rat-run’ during peak commuting times. Working in agreement with a local landowner, two sets of access gates to the Ystwyth Trail have also been removed. This is part of ongoing barrier removal work to help improve accessibility for pedestrians, mobility users and cyclists making it easier and more convenient to use active travel routes. A short section of the Ystwyth Trail in Llanfarian is also more accessible after recent tarmac surfacing. These are ‘Minor Works’ schemes funded by the Active Travel Fund Core Grant from the Welsh Government which is managed by Transport for Wales.

Further south in the county, Phase 3 of the Rhiwgoch Footway Scheme has recently been completed to help improve connectivity between Ffos-y Ffin and Aberaeron. This has been funded from the Welsh Government’s Safe Routes in Communities Grant. Scheme development work is ongoing by Ceredigion County Council officers to try and secure the final Phase 4 section to connect with Lampeter Road in Aberaeron.

Councillor Henson continued: “This footway scheme in Rhiwgoch is an example that it can take a number of years to develop and fully complete a scheme, with landowner co-operation often being a crucial factor.

“Ceredigion County Council is committed to pursuing these schemes and I’m also grateful to the Welsh Government for providing ongoing grant funding support. It is through the hard work of council officers that we’ve been successful in these grant applications, often competing against larger authorities, which has ensured that the active travel routes in Ceredigion continue to make journeys safer.

“These Active Travel schemes help connect communities and provide healthier and more sustainable travel options for our residents, as we work towards our ambitions to reduce carbon emissions and maintaining Cleaner Air targets.”