Gwynedd: A494 needs urgent change after crashes, says MS

There have been three fatal crashes on the A494 in under two years

A road that has seen 15 crashes - three of them fatal - in under two years needs improving, according to a Senedd member.

The crashes happened between January 2022 and August 2023 on the A494, between Dolgellau in Gwynedd and Corwen in Denbighshire.

The latest fatal crash was when a motorcyclist died at Rhydymain, Gwynedd, on 13 August.

The Welsh government said any required improvements would take place.

Nine of the other crashes were serious and the route, used by tourists and residents, has often been shut for long stretches as a result.

Dwyfor Meirionnydd Member of the Senedd (MS) Mabon ap Gwynfor claimed he had raised the matter with the Welsh government two years ago.

• How will new Wales-wide 20mph speed limit law work?

• All major road building projects in Wales are scrapped

• More Cardiff roads to be closed to cars for school run

Work, he said, needed to be done as soon as possible.

"The road is dangerous and we need to see the safety levels on that road improved," he said.

Farmer Huw Evans said the road was especially busy on weekends.

Farmer Huw Evans says the road becomes particularly busy at weekends

"We've got long stretches of road that allow you to travel at great speed and then, all of a sudden, you come to some sharp, dangerous corners and it's invariably where these fatal accidents happen," he said.

Iwan Jones, the boss at Plas Moduron garage in Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd, said some crashes had left the A494 shut for six hours.

He said: "It's a shame that it has to come to maybe changing the speed limit or doing average speed cameras."

The Welsh government said it was waiting for a police report on the August 13 crash.

"Once received, we will carry out any improvements identified at the earliest opportunity," it said.