Five months of roadworks have begun on a major Cardiff road to allow for significant flood prevention works. As a result of the traffic disruption, residents are being urged to put their bins out earlier than normal to accommodate earlier collections.
Roadworks timeline and traffic management
The flood prevention work in Lamby Way in Rumney began on September 20 and is due to carry on until the end of February 2027. Road users are expected to face months of delays and disruption.
Temporary traffic signals are now operating between the Southern Way and Lamby Way roundabouts and are expected to remain in place until February 26, 2027. A dedicated traffic management contractor is on site to monitor traffic and adjust signals to reduce congestion where possible.
Due to the work there is now a lane closure at the Lamby Way roundabout. From October 5 to December 11 there will then be major piling works towards Lamby Way bridge. Night closures to remove piling equipment and pile cap installation will take place from December 14 until December 23.
Christmas shutdown and waste collection changes
A Christmas shutdown with minimal traffic management will take place between Christmas Eve and January 3. Handrail installation and the removal of the works equipment will follow between February 8 and February 26.
Four days into the work, the council said they were working to improve traffic flow in the area due to heavy congestion around Lamby Way. A spokesman said: "Congestion has been experienced around Lamby Way, and we are working with the contractor to introduce changes to improve traffic flow. [From now] if you're travelling from Rover Way, access to Lamby Way will be via Southern Way and the Llanedeyrn gyratory, before returning along Southern Way to use the dedicated slip road onto Lamby Way." Motorists can also use the A48 when travelling towards Newport.
Due to the traffic disruption, the council has also brought forward waste collections. Cardiff council said from September 21, until further notice, waste and recycling collection crews would begin work at 5am as part of a temporary arrangement. They have urged residents to put their waste and recycling outside the night before, or no later than 5am on collection day, to ensure it is collected.
Flood defence scheme details
In January a towering metal structure was erected alongside Lamby Way as part of the coastal defence scheme which will be implemented to manage flood risk in the area for the next 100 years.
The scheme was first announced in 2021 and included plans to put 100,000 tonnes of rock on the coastline, raising the riverbank behind, and raising the embankments next to the highway. It's expected to cost around £35m to complete with the majority of the funding provided by the Welsh Government.
The council previously said the work was necessary due to coastal city flooding becoming an "increasingly significant risk as sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more frequent". Once completed, the flood defences will manage the flood risk to 1,116 residential and 72 non-residential properties plus the Rover Way Traveller site. The council said the scheme should provide defence "against a one-in-200-year severe weather event".
