Speed: Gwynedd village concern after seven A496 crashes

The bend before Rhyd y Sarn is a hotspot for accidents and has been damaged by crashes

Seven crashes in the past two years have led campaigners to call for the speed limit on a road through their rural village to be halved.

The crashes in Rhyd y Sarn, near Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd, prompted people to demand the speed limit on the A496 is cut from 60mph to 30mph.

Resident Peter Jones said it was "the sort of statistic you'd expect on a motorway" rather than a village.

Gwynedd council said it hoped new measures would "improve road safety".

On the way into the village from the Blaenau Ffestiniog side there are bends and a steep downward hill, with some vehicles crashing into the bridge there.

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Mr Jones said: "It's absolutely extraordinary that residents have put up with the problem for so long.

"Vehicles can travel at up to 60mph through the village. There are no pavements, [so] fast vehicles are passing individuals at an alarming rate."

He said the key issue was people losing control on the bend as they approach the village.

Peter Jones and other residents are calling for the speed limit through their village to be reduced to 30mph

Blaenau Ffestiniog councillor Glyn Daniels said people have had enough: "The road is extremely dangerous.

"There's countless accidents on this road and something needs to be done now. The speed limit must be taken down from 60mph to 30mph as soon as possible."

The council said the number of crashes on this section of road was "clearly a concern" it shared with people in the village and a review of the speed limit was scheduled for 2023.

A spokesman added: "The council is now in the process of erecting chevron signs on the approach to the hamlet from Blaenau Ffestiniog, which we hope will have a significant impact on the way motorists negotiate this section of road.

"We hope the steps being taken will help to improve road safety on this section of road and appreciate the desire locally for improvements to be introduced as soon as possible."