Shropshire Star

Moving mountains: Pictures reveal scale of Newtown bypass work

First it was there, and now it’s not.

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The Newton bypass pictured in January, left, and August, right. Photos: @Clivewilliam428

The multi-million pound Newtown Bypass is past the halfway stage now and workers are moving mountains to get there.

Well not quite mountains, but certainly hills as contractors Alun Griffiths continue their work to alleviate the traffic problems that have blighted Newtown for decades.

Pictures taken by Clive Williams, a photographer and walking blogger from Mid Wales, have captured the before and after as a hill near to Upper Dolfor Road was taken out to allow a bridge to connect to a section of the bypass.

His first picture, taken in January shows the first part of the large hill being dug into, however most of it is still intact.

This is how part of the Newtown bypass looked at the start of the year. Photo: @Clivewilliam428

Then, eight months later a new picture shows how engineers and contractors have worked to slice the hill in two and create an area for the new bypass to run through the middle.

The large bridge over Upper Dolfor Road, which is the largest structure in the construction, looks to be near completion with concrete now down on the bridge.

In recent months contractors have been pressing ahead with the construction, with roundabouts now in use at the north and south end of the construction.

How the bypass looked at the start of August. Photo: @Clivewilliam428

A considerable amount of work has been taking place on the north end of the construction, with various structures visible including work taking place for cars to cross the railway line that runs along the edge of the town.

The hot summer weather has helped contractors to progress with the work, and the bypass seems to be on schedule to be completed by spring 2019.

It has previously been mooted that the work could be completed by the end of this year, but contractors have been reluctant to comment on any earlier-than-expected completion date.

The construction will soon be coming into its latter stages, and that is when the official opening events will start to take place.

Earlier this week, Russell George AM revealed that a charity 5k fun run will take place along a completed stretch of the bypass on October 21, as part of a series of events to mark its opening.

It has also recently been confirmed that the road will be called the Newtown Bypass.

Suggestions had been made to transport secretary Ken Skates AM, but he refused the ideas.

However he said he was open to naming structures along the route after famous people from the town.