A stretch of the A493 in Machynlleth that has been closed for three weeks will reopen ten days ahead of schedule.

On Friday, March 1, a section of the A493 in front of Dyfi Cottages in Machynlleth that was closed to facilitate works to the newly opened Dyfi bridge, will re-open earlier than expected.

The road was first closed on February 11, prohibiting all vehicle traffic over a length of about 100 metres along the front of the Dyfi Cottages at Pont ar Ddyfi for a period of 30 days.

Prior to the closure, contractor Griffiths Ltd added that “every effort will be made to reduce this timescale and open the road sooner” and on February 28 publicly announced that they were hoping to have the road re-opened 10 days ahead of their original finishing date.

Griffiths Ltd’s Public Liaison Officer Jane Howells said: “The road at Dyfi Cottages will be open from 7am, Friday, March 1.

“If you happen to know anybody parking cars or vehicles either side of the closure, please can you advise that they need to be removed in advance of this time.”

The stretch of road was closed to facilitate drainage works for the New Dyfi Bridge. As the road is narrow and congested with several underground public utility services including a high-pressure water main, electricity and communication cables, this limited available route for the drainage works to the centre of the road.

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A deep excavation was also needed to carry out the drainage improvement work and the safety measures to protect the workforce and public during excavation means that almost the full width of the carriageway was required for the work.

The closure has been an inconvenience for some, resulting in lengthy diversions, such as a 40-minute detour for those travelling between Machynlleth and Pennal.

The disruption was partially mitigated by carrying out much of the work over the February half term, reducing the number of times parents had to cope with a lengthy detour in the middle of their school runs.

Machynlleth based bus company Lloyds Coaches also ran a special replacement service that saw passengers disembark at one end of the closed road, make their way across the closed section on foot, before continuing their journey on a shuttle bus at the other end.

Prior to the closure, a spokesperson for Griffiths Ltd said: “We are very understanding and sympathetic to the upheaval the closure will cause but hope that the end result will be a safer and more resilient route.”