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 3rd. February 1928
the road from Cwmparc to Cymmer Afon via Bwlch-y-Clawdd
was opened and on 4th. November 1929
the road from Treherbert to Hirwaun via Llyn
Fawr was opened. .
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