Madam,

There has been a dreadful lack of consultation with the people of Tywyn and south Meirionnydd over the proposed new Dyfi bridge. It was stated at the exhibition last Wednesday that all Gwynedd councillors had been informed of the exhibition. Well, I certainly wasn’t. It appears we are being kept at arms’ length, as it seems the wishes of Machynlleth Town Council are being given priority as to the proposed route so as not to bypass the town. The bridge is just as important to the people of Meirionnydd as it is our main southern arterial road so we must be given greater consideration.

What is the point of spending in the region of £24m on a new bridge to then bring the road back into Machynlleth to join the old road under the railway bridge which is regularly closed because of flooding? I did ask this question of the Welsh Government officials involved who said they are looking to see why it floods and what they can do to solve that problem. I think it’s been obvious for the past 100 years what causes the flooding and all the pumps in the world won’t cope with the water when the river is in full flood so we will still have the same old problem.

We need a complete rethink as a better solution would be to build the new bridge towards the west of the old bridge and take it over the railway line around the back of Machynlleth to meet the Aberystwyth road.

This would solve all the problems once and for all with no need for installing pumps that would need regular maintenance. I can full understand the concerns of traders in Machynlleth that a bypass would have a detrimental effect on the town, but this has not been the case with other bypasses like Porthmadog/Tremadog or Dolgellau. Quite the reverse as it removes the massive congestion problems in the summer which puts people off stopping in the town.

We do however have to think of the bigger, long-term picture of what is best for the future of the mid Wales coastal strip which is why the Welsh Government needs to consult more with people in Tywyn and south Meirionnydd.

Cllr Mike Stevens, Tywyn