DUE TO danger to drivers a major project to chop down 22 hectares of trees growing above a main road linking north and Mid Wales, is about to start.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is set to begin the next phase of the The Bont Evans Tree Works and Stabilisation project,( BETWS), to protect people by removing huge trees growing on a steep bank above the A487, north of Machynlleth.

This week, contractors will begin to install a 900 metre long catch fence along the bottom edge of the woodland.

Temporary traffic lights will be on the road, near Ceinws, for around three months while the fence is put in place.

Jared Gethin, BETWS project manager for Natural Resources Wales, said: “These trees have become unstable and the risk that they could fall onto the road and cause an accident is increasing.

“This is a a complex project because the trees are growing on a steep bank, which is up to 50 degrees in some places, and right above the busy main road.

“The catch fence needs to be in place before felling can start, to stop debris falling on the road from the bank above.”

NRW and Dawnus are working closely with the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency, Welsh Government Transport and the emergency services to reduce the impact on the community and road users as much as possible.

For more details visit www.naturalresources.wales/betws, or get in touch with NRW at BETWS@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk