ESP have been proud to contribute to the efforts to reopen the Rhondda Tunnel, providing a Geotechnical Site Investigation of the two portals of the Tunnel; Blaengwnfi at the head of the Afan Valley and Blaencwm in the Rhondda Fawr Valley, along with a Coal Mining Risk Assessment of the tunnel length. We have been working with the Rhondda Tunnel Society to provide general geotechnical and geo-environmental support for the project, which hopes to provide a major tourism and economic boost for both communities.
Supporters of the plans to reopen the Tunnel as a leisure attraction for cyclists and walkers will welcome the news that the Local Authority responsible for the area, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, have been awarded a £250,000 grant from the Welsh Government as past of their Active Travel Act. This funding has been granted as part of £10m allocated to Welsh councils this month aiming to promote walking and cycling in the community, for which the Rhondda Tunnel may prove an ideal example.
BBC News coverage of the Rhondda Tunnel project and it’s supporters, including Michael Sheen, can be found here.
