Councillors have backed a motion that highlights the need to maintain and upgrade the A470 trunk road.

The A470, at 186 miles long, is the longest road within Wales and starts in Llandudno on the North Wales coast and finishes in Cardiff, and for many miles it winds its way through Powys.

At a Powys County Council meeting on Thursday, October 9, Plaid Cymru group leader Cllr Elwyn Vaughan put forward a motion asking councillors to back a move to bring issues with the A470 to the Welsh Government’s attention.

Cllr Vaughan (Glantwymyn) said that in recent years there had been some investment, including stretches from the Dyfi Valley into Gwynedd and from Brecon to Merthyr Tydfil.

“But there are sections of the road that still need attention and this highlights to whoever will be in power next May how important this road is to Powys, both for business and socially,” he said.

He went on to highlight some parts of Powys where problems with the road are apparent, which includes Rhayader and Pontdolgoch near Carno.

Last month a lorry had smashed into Pontdolgoch bridge which affected travel in this part of Powys.

Cllr Vaughan said: “Every time a vehicle hits this low bridge it closes the railway as well as the road, creating a huge amount of problems.”

He believed highway agencies and Network Rail should put their heads together to come up with a scheme to either “raise the height of the bridge” or “lower the level of the road”.

The motion was seconded by Cllr Bryn Davies (Plaid Cymru – Banwy, Llanfihangel and Llanwddyn).

Conservative group leader Cllr Aled Davies (Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llansilin) welcomed the motion and said: “Hopefully the government in Cardiff will invest more in the A470 which is such an important road in Mid Wales.”

Cllr Karl Lewis (Reform UK – Llandinam with Dolfor) said: “I wholeheartedly support this, the A470 runs right through Llandinam and pretty much the whole of my ward from north to south.

“I feel that my section of the A470 is one of the most dangerous – my parents own a farm, and we’ve had a number of cars go through our hedges over the years.”

He said that some had been serious incidents which required the Welsh Air Ambulance to attend and evacuate injured people.

Cllr Lewis said that he had been in touch with members of the Welsh Government as well as their trunk road agency arm to bring to their attention the difficulties Llandinam residents have with the A470 “especially” the elderly and young people crossing the road in the village.

Cllr Tom Colbert (non-aligned Independent – Bronllys and Feinfach) said that efforts still need to be made to ensure the Pontybat roundabout scheme near Brecon comes to fruition.

Cllr Colbert said: “We get kind words, even some indication of monitoring, but that isn’t going to solve the problem, we need a roundabout there.”

Council went to a vote which saw 52 councillors vote to support the motion with one councillor voting to abstain.