Madam,

If and when the new Dyfi bridge is agreed, there is still the problem of the A class road entering Machynlleth via a narrow railway bridge that doesn’t allow high-sided vehicles access to pass underneath, thus negating the A class marking of the road.

Machynlleth council, its citizens and businesses, are all worried that if a bypass is built then they and their town will be bypassed too. Never fear! There is no way that the old Welsh parliamentary centre of Wales is going to suffer. Look to the future, think outside of the box.

Look around at Dolgellau and Porthmadog to see how they are coming alive again as the centres of their localities, markets in the town centres, concerts in the main square, more space for parking, no more rushing around and an influx of visitors as never before.

I can remember when a motorway was mooted to bring visitors from Shrewsbury to Machynlleth. Perhaps some of your older councillors remember this. It never got off the ground, the development cash going to south Wales.

Think of the joy of no more large tanker vehicles holding up the traffic by the clock tower, as they will be using the new bypass.

The bypass could travel west, parallel with the track, to a point that allows the construction of a new, well-designed bridge constructed to carry the road, up and over the railway track in order to rejoin the Aberystwyth road at the roundabout by the school playing field.

The main road coming through Machynlleth from Newtown could remain, but turning left at the clock tower in order to join the main roads north and west at the roundabout. This would eliminate the hold-ups by the clock tower.

Progress means improvement and, as the Parliament of Wales was originally in Machynlleth, and now with a first-class rail service to London, what about getting the Welsh Assembly to relocate to the Machynlleth area, selling off the site in Cardiff for a hefty profit, and using the money raised to bring the politicians closer to the centre and people of Wales?

Yours etc,

Ronald Bott, Abergynolwyn.

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