Roads and routes for walkers and cyclists in £27m boost

Road bottlenecks and safer routes for walkers and cyclists in Wales will be tackled by nearly £27m funding.

It includes nearly £2m for a Llangefni Link Road on Anglesey and major road schemes costing around £1.3m each in Carmarthen, Ceredigion, and Swansea.

Transport Minister Edwina Hart said the cash would support economic growth, improve safety, and promote walking and cycling.

The money is being given in grants to every local authority in Wales.

Safe routes

Nearly £16m comes from the Welsh government's Local Transport Fund to back 35 major public transport, road and active travel projects in 18 different council areas.

Almost £4m in Road Safety Capital grants is being spent on ways to cut road accidents in 14 local authorities.

Just over £5m is being made available under the Safe Routes in Communities programme to improve walking and cycling routes to schools and other community facilities in all 21 local authority areas.

Nearly £2m will be spent on road safety education and training programmes for high-risk and vulnerable groups, such as children, young people, older drivers and motorcyclists.

Jane Lorimer, national director of the transport charity Sustrans Cymru, welcomed the investment, especially in creating safe routes for walkers and cyclists.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, she said: "Local construction firms generally get the work, so that's extra jobs in the local area.

"But even just for tackling congestion, it makes everyone's life easier if we have fewer cars on the road."