Road reopens after grass fire rockfall risk

A key link road that has been shut for four months for repair work has reopened on Friday evening.

The A4061 between Hirwaun and Treherbert has been closed since July as Rhondda Cynon Taf council conducted "absolutely necessary" work to the mountain.

There has been a rockfall risk since a 2022 grass fire damaged the protective netting on the slopes of the 491m (1,610ft) Rhigos mountain.

A council spokesperson said the repairs would "rectify damage caused by the previous fire" and ensure the commuter route "remains available for communities into the future".

It added that without the work being completed "the rockface could have deteriorated further".

The nine-mile journey between Hirwaun and Treherbert over the Rhigos mountain pass typically takes about 20 minutes, but during the closure drivers have been advised to use the A4233 between Tylorstown and Aberdare over the Maerdy mountain and the B4275 between Aberdare and Hirwaun, which takes almost an hour.

The council spokesperson thanked residents and road users for their patience, saying they "do not underestimate the disruption that these works have caused".