WITH businesses and domestic housing developments flourishing at Cross Hands, a £20-million road infrastructure programme is being proposed by Carmarthenshire County Council.

Council chiefs say this will help resolve frustrating problems of tailbacks at peak traffic times on the Cross Hands roundabout which choke surrounding feeder roads.

A public information exhibition is planned, as part of the initial consultation process, by the authority’s transport and engineering division on Friday, from 1pm-9pm, and on Saturday, from 9am to 1pm, at the foyer in the Cross Hands Co-op.

The major improvement scheme planned has been known as the Cross Hands Economic Link Road. It extends from the A48 ‘Diamond’ junction at Cross Hands to the A476 at Gorslas to the north east, and in a westerly direction to a point west of Cross Hands. The scheme is currently divided into three phases.

Phase 1 is also split into two phases with phase 1A (A48 Diamond junction to Cross Hands Business Park) having being constructed last financial year and phase 1B (Cross Hands Business Park to Black Lion Road) included as part of the Convergence funded Strategic East Site project.

To maintain the momentum on this key infrastructure scheme, Welsh Government Regional Transport Plan funds are currently being used to investigate a number of alternative routes for phase 2 of the scheme (Black Lion Road to A476 east of Gorslas).

It is as part of this process the public information exhibition is planned as part of the initial consultation process. Work could start if funds are acquired in 2015- 16 and the necessary land and statutory consents are obtained.

County leader Cllr Kevin Madge said he was sure the public consultation would be well attended.

“Many drivers and residents have been frustrated as both business and housing has boomed, leaving behind the development of then supporting road infrastructure,” he said.

“This is a chance for them to have their say and help get things right at the planning stage.”