A487 road
Encyclopedia
The A487 is a trunk road
in Wales
, running up the western side of the country from Haverfordwest
in the south to Bangor
in the north.
It starts at Merlin's Bridge near Haverfordwest, from where it travels north west to St David's
, then switches back north east through Fishguard
, Cardigan, Aberaeron
, Aberystwyth
, Machynlleth
and Corris
.
When passing through the town of Fishguard
, the road width through the town and especially Lower Fishguard is a very narrow only single lane road leading to many traffic issues especially with HGVs. Articulated HGVs have been recently banned from this section between Fishguard
and Dinas Cross
because of the difficulties of HGVs passing other traffic on this section.
There was a by-pass built around the town of Cardigan
during 1989/90 which consists of a new concrete bridge of the River Teifi
followed by a 3 lane road up the hill to the north of the town.
The section of road in the Dulas valley between the Afon Dyfi
near Machynlleth
and Corris
was built in the 1840s at the instigation of the local slate quarry owners to replace the old turnpike road
on the opposite side of the valley. It may have utilised part of the formation of the Roman Sarn Helen
. From 1859 the road was kept company on this section by the narrow-gauge Corris Railway
.
The road continues to Dolgellau
multiplexing with the A470
north of the Cross Foxes inn. The site of Dolgellau railway station
along with approximately a mile and a half of trackbed of the former Great Western Railway
line from Ruabon to Barmouth
was used to construct the Dolgellau bypass in the late 1970s.
After Dolgellau, the road continues to multiplex with the A470 road
, re-emerging just north of Trawsfynydd
then passing through Penrhyndeudraeth
and Porthmadog
.
Between Penrhyndeudraeth and Porthmadog, the road passes over a mile-long embankment, known as "The Cob". Until 2003, drivers had to pay a charge to cross The Cob. In 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government
published plans for the Porthmadog, Minffordd and Tremadog bypass, which would reduce the amount of through traffic in the town. Work started on the project in 2010, the route of which passes under the Ffestiniog Railway
, and then crosses over the Welsh Highland Railway
.
The section between Porthmadog and Llanwnda
has been improved. The new section bypasses Llanllyfni
and Penygroes, in parts utilizing the old trackbed of the Caernarfon to Afon Wen
railway line. In April 2007, the 10-mile new section had to be resurfaced in its entirety after it became apparent that the wrong type of stone had been used for the surface tarmac. A bat bridge
was built over the Groeslon
bypass in 2010 to guide lesser horseshoe bats across the road.
A bypass was opened in 1994 avoiding Y Felinheli
on the section between Caernarfon
and Bangor
. It is proposed to build a further bypass to avoid Caernarfon (from the northern end of the Pen-y-groes bypass to the western end of the Y Felinheli bypass) thereafter.
The road terminates at the foot of the Menai Suspension Bridge
near Bangor
.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, running up the western side of the country from Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales and serves as the County's principal commercial and administrative centre. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,367 in 2001; though its community boundaries make it the second most populous...
in the south to Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
in the north.
It starts at Merlin's Bridge near Haverfordwest, from where it travels north west to St David's
St David's
St Davids , is a city and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Lying on the River Alun on St David's Peninsula, it is Britain's smallest city in terms of both size and population, the final resting place of Saint David, the country's patron saint, and the de facto ecclesiastical capital of...
, then switches back north east through Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
, Cardigan, Aberaeron
Aberaeron
Aberaeron |Aeron]] being a Welsh god of war) is a seaside resort town in Ceredigion, Wales. Situated between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, it is home to the headquarters of Ceredigion County Council. The population was 1520 in 2001.-History and design:...
, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
, Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
and Corris
Corris
Corris is a village in the south of Snowdonia in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. Although the Snowdonia National Park covers much of the area around Corris, the village is not within the park. The name is possibly derived from the English word "quarries", and the extensive slate quarries that surround...
.
When passing through the town of Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
, the road width through the town and especially Lower Fishguard is a very narrow only single lane road leading to many traffic issues especially with HGVs. Articulated HGVs have been recently banned from this section between Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
and Dinas Cross
Dinas Cross
Dinas Cross is a village in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated between Fishguard and Newport in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and is a popular holiday destination on the A487. The village has its own elected community council and gives its name to an electoral ward of Pembrokeshire...
because of the difficulties of HGVs passing other traffic on this section.
There was a by-pass built around the town of Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
during 1989/90 which consists of a new concrete bridge of the River Teifi
River Teifi
The River Teifi forms the boundary between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales for most of its 75 mile length, flowing into the sea below the town of Cardigan. The catchment of the river is estimated to be 1,008 square kilometres yielding an average flow at Glan...
followed by a 3 lane road up the hill to the north of the town.
The section of road in the Dulas valley between the Afon Dyfi
River Dyfi
The River Dyfi is a river in Mid Wales. The Dyfi estuary forms the border between the counties of Gwynedd and Ceredigion.- Source :...
near Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
and Corris
Corris
Corris is a village in the south of Snowdonia in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. Although the Snowdonia National Park covers much of the area around Corris, the village is not within the park. The name is possibly derived from the English word "quarries", and the extensive slate quarries that surround...
was built in the 1840s at the instigation of the local slate quarry owners to replace the old turnpike road
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
on the opposite side of the valley. It may have utilised part of the formation of the Roman Sarn Helen
Sarn Helen
right|thumb|250px|A section of Sarn Helen near Betws-y-coed.Sarn Helen was a Roman road in Wales, running from Aberconwy in the north to Carmarthen in the south.It was some 160 miles in length...
. From 1859 the road was kept company on this section by the narrow-gauge Corris Railway
Corris Railway
The Corris Railway is a narrow gauge preserved railway based in Corris on the border between Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire in Mid-Wales....
.
The road continues to Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
multiplexing with the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
north of the Cross Foxes inn. The site of Dolgellau railway station
Dolgellau railway station
Dolgellau railway station in Gwynedd, North Wales, was a station on the Ruabon to Barmouth line, originally the terminus of a Cambrian Railways branch from Barmouth Junction, then linked by the Great Western Railway to Bala and Ruabon...
along with approximately a mile and a half of trackbed of the former Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
line from Ruabon to Barmouth
Ruabon Barmouth Line
The Ruabon to Barmouth Line was a standard gauge branch line of the Great Western Railway across the north of Wales which connected Ruabon, in the east, with Barmouth on the west coast.-Connections:...
was used to construct the Dolgellau bypass in the late 1970s.
After Dolgellau, the road continues to multiplex with the A470 road
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
, re-emerging just north of Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, adjacent to the A470 north of Dolgellau near Blaenau Ffestiniog....
then passing through Penrhyndeudraeth
Penrhyndeudraeth
Penrhyndeudraeth is a village and community in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. It is located between Traeth Mawr , the now largely reclaimed estuary of the Afon Glaslyn, and Traeth Bach , the estuary of the Afon Dwyryd. The village is close to the mouth of the Afon Dwyryd on the A487 from...
and Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
.
Between Penrhyndeudraeth and Porthmadog, the road passes over a mile-long embankment, known as "The Cob". Until 2003, drivers had to pay a charge to cross The Cob. In 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
published plans for the Porthmadog, Minffordd and Tremadog bypass, which would reduce the amount of through traffic in the town. Work started on the project in 2010, the route of which passes under the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
, and then crosses over the Welsh Highland Railway
Welsh Highland Railway
The Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway...
.
The section between Porthmadog and Llanwnda
Llanwnda, Gwynedd
Llanwnda is a village in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of roughly 1,000. It is situated about 3 miles to the south of Caernarfon, and 5 miles south-west of Llanrug. It contains the Fort Belan, built in 1775.- External links :*...
has been improved. The new section bypasses Llanllyfni
Llanllyfni
Llanllyfni is a small village near Penygroes in Gwynedd, North Wales.It is a largely Welsh speaking close-knit village. About over 85% of the villagers speak Welsh as their first language....
and Penygroes, in parts utilizing the old trackbed of the Caernarfon to Afon Wen
Carnarvonshire Railway
The Carnarvonshire Railway was a railway connecting Caernarvon railway station with Afon Wen.-History:...
railway line. In April 2007, the 10-mile new section had to be resurfaced in its entirety after it became apparent that the wrong type of stone had been used for the surface tarmac. A bat bridge
Bat bridge
A bat bridge is a structure of varying construction crossing a new or altered road to aid the navigation of bats following the destruction of a hedgerow, and to cause the bats to cross the roadway at a sufficient height to avoid traffic...
was built over the Groeslon
Groeslon
Groeslon is a small village in the community of Llandwrog in the Welsh county of Gwynedd.Nearby villages are Penygroes, Carmel and Dinas. The village lies approximately five miles south of Caernarfon. It has one primary school in the centre of the village and no secondary schools...
bypass in 2010 to guide lesser horseshoe bats across the road.
A bypass was opened in 1994 avoiding Y Felinheli
Y Felinheli
Y Felinheli is a village lying beside the Menai Strait between Bangor and Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The population is about 2,200.-Etymology:...
on the section between Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
and Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
. It is proposed to build a further bypass to avoid Caernarfon (from the northern end of the Pen-y-groes bypass to the western end of the Y Felinheli bypass) thereafter.
The road terminates at the foot of the Menai Suspension Bridge
Menai Suspension Bridge
The Menai Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was the first modern suspension bridge in the world.-Construction:...
near Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
.