Construction work has finished on Phase Two of the Neath Canal Towpath Active Travel Route which now completes a series of improvements from Bridge Street, Neath, to Briton Ferry.
The scheme has improved the surface, appearance and accessibility of the National Cycle Network (NCN 47) alongside Neath Canal that will encourage Active Travel through walking and cycling for everyday short-distance journeys within the County Borough.
The scheme was constructed by Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd and has been funded by the Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund.
Construction work has also been completed on the cycle route alongside Fabian Way (near Earlswood Golf Course). The Fabian Way scheme has seen resurfacing, improved signage and road markings and also improvements to drainage in an underpass along the route.
The Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 became law in Wales on November 4th 2013. It requires local authorities in Wales to improve facilities and routes continuously for pedestrians and cyclists and to prepare maps identifying current and potential future routes for active travel.
When the Act was introduced the idea was “to make walking and cycling the most normal way of getting about” across Wales.
Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Engineering, Cllr Ted Latham, said:
“Active Travel is aimed at getting people out of cars for short journeys and travelling in a way which improves their health.
“It is also designed to produce many other benefits, from cleaner air, less congested roads, improved mental health and busier local shops.
“The Neath Canal Towpath and Fabian Way routes are attractive places in which to enjoy cycling and walking and we hope the improvements will lead to many more users for these routes.”
