Cardiff, UK – Ongoing roadworks in the Canton area of Cardiff are causing severe traffic congestion, leaving commuters exasperated and local residents expressing their concerns. The road closure on Sanatorium Road, heading southbound from its junction with Lansdowne Road, is set to continue until December 20, with additional works expected to extend the disruption until March 2024.
These roadworks are part of the city council’s active travel initiative for Canton, involving the widening and resurfacing of footways, the reconfiguration of junctions, and the installation of new crossings. Notably, Grosvenor Street is slated to become a permanent one-way route for northbound traffic, while southbound access will be exclusively reserved for cyclists.
A representative from the Cardiff council for the Canton area acknowledged the daily influx of complaints related to traffic, parking, dangerous driving, and road safety. Despite the inconveniences, the council member stressed the long-term benefits, asserting that the improvements would make the roads “safer and better” for the community.
“At the moment, I think it is clearly a bit of a pinch point… there are roadworks going on there, so it is a one-way system at the moment,” mentioned the representative. “Some traffic is being diverted. It is not the first time that there has been congestion.”
Residents, however, are less optimistic about the situation. A local driver expressed frustration, stating, “Driving down Lansdowne Road is often a painfully slow and frustrating experience, with queues running its entire length at busy times. Now, with these roadworks, that is even worse.”
While recognizing the necessity of improvements, the resident highlighted the exacerbation of traffic issues in Canton and Leckwith, making an already challenging driving experience even more painful. The hope is that the works will be completed on schedule, bringing relief to affected residents and commuters.
Earlier this year, Cardiff Council responded to safety concerns along Leckwith Road by installing three new crossings to facilitate safer school journeys. However, some residents and drivers reported traffic build-ups during peak hours, particularly around school drop-off and pick-up times.
Addressing these concerns, the council assured that daily monitoring of the Canton roadworks would take place, with plans to adjust traffic lights on Atlas Road and Broad Street to alleviate congestion. The representative, who also serves as a policy and external affairs manager at Sustrans, revealed that numerous safety-related complaints about Sanatorium Road had been received over six years as a council member.
“I have met with senior managers; we had temporary improvements put in during the pandemic… where we were able to extend the pavement… to make it a bit safer. Before that, there was literally one section of pavement with a BT network box, which was barely a metre wide for hundreds of people on scooters and [with] prams. They couldn’t even fit on the pavement. It was just unacceptable,” the representative added.
The upcoming key dates for highway changes in the Canton area include the installation of temporary traffic lights at the Lansdowne Road junction with Sanatorium Road and Grosvenor Street from 9:30 am on January 4, 2024, until March 22, 2024. Additionally, temporary traffic lights will be placed at the Sanatorium Road junction with Broad Street from 9:30 am on January 5, 2024, until March 22, 2024.
The representative sought to reassure residents, stating, “That work, although I recognize that it is disruptive for residents while it is ongoing, it is a relatively short period and… the road will open again as before. When it does, the pavements, the crossing points, the shortcuts… it will all be safer and better for the whole community.”
A respite for residents is on the horizon, as a break in the works is scheduled over the Christmas period, spanning from December 20 to January 4. This pause aims to provide relief during the festive season before the roadworks resume their course in the pursuit of a safer and improved urban landscape.
