Early Transport

In the 1850's road communications played no part in the economic development of the Lower Rhondda. As a result the only communicating links between the Rhondda Valleys and the neighbouring valleys and towns were the mountain ridgeways or cefn ffrydd and of these the main ones were the following:-

• The ridgeway leading northwards past Blaenrhondda and Llyn-Fawr to meet the Neath-Aberdare road;

• The ridgeway leading westwards past Maendy through Bwlch-y-clawdd to the Garw Valley and Margam;

• The ridgeway leading eastwards to Llanwynno over Penrhys; and South-westwards the ridgeway to Llantrisant via Cymmer and Trebanog.

There were no valley road southwards towards [Newbridge] Pontypridd and to the nearest turn-pike road, the Merthyr to Cardiff highway, but there was a Llanwynno parish ridgeway.

During the period 1860 to 1880 the chief road improvements were mainly due to the individual efforts of various colliery owners who constructed roads in the region of their collieries and company-houses.

In the early 1860's the Bute Trustees suggested to their co-landowners that a main valley road laid down to a width of 50 feet [15.24 metres] throughout the Rhondda Fawr and the Lower Rhondda from Treherbert to Pontypridd. However, the majority disagreed. As a result most of the other main and lateral roads were laid down to a width of about 20 feet [6.09 metres]. Since 1897 the local authority have spent vast sums of money attempting to rectify these grave errors.

During the first two decades of the C20th the Rhondda Valleys were served by only two roads throughout the length of the main valleys and meeting at Tynewydd, Porth. It was after the Pentre landslide of October 1916, when road communication between the Upper Rhondda Fawr and Lower Rhondda were very nearly severed that the necessity for duplicating these main roads was first fully appreciated.

Another important drawback in Rhondda road communications at the beginning of the C20th. was the almost entire absence of transport links with other Glamorgan Valleys. Although the ridgeways from Aberdare to Maerdy had been improved, the upper parts of the Rhondda Fawr valley and the lateral valleys of Cwm-Clydach and Cwmparc were cul-de-sac. As a result, on 3^rd. February 1928 the road from Cwmparc to Cymmer Afon via Bwlch-y-Clawdd was opened and on 4^th. November 1929 the road from Treherbert to Hirwaun via Llyn Fawr was opened.