Business as usual for traders in West Way area

It’s business as usual for traders in the area of improvement works on West Way in Swansea city centre – that’s the message from Swansea Council

Shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants and other businesses both on West Way itself, as well as on Plymouth Street, are among those where normal opening hours will continue to be in operation throughout the works.

Coffee Bean on Plymouth Street, in the building that used to accommodate the former city centre management offices, is among the places where it’s business as usual. That’s despite the temporary closure of the pedestrian crossing between the rear service area of the Grand Theatre and the Bus Station’s vehicle entrance that’s now in place.

Swansea Council is behind the West Way improvement scheme, with funding from the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places Swansea City Centre Regeneration programme that was awarded in June, 2014.

The works, expected to last until the autumn, will lead to better pedestrian crossings over West Way, more greenery and better traffic flows because of a planned reduction in traffic light phasing. A new road layout close to the City Bus Station will also be introduced to help improve bus movements.

Phil Holmes, Swansea Council’s Head of Economic Regeneration and Planning, said: “These works will benefit many hundreds of thousands of people in years to come by improving West Way for pedestrians, motorists and buses. They will also generate a more pleasant environment for residents, city centre workers and visitors, thanks to the introduction of more greenery.

“It’s inevitable that schemes of this kind will lead to a certain level of disruption but we’ll continue to do our best to minimise it, not just by considerate traffic management arrangements in coming months, but also by working closely with local businesses to ensure they’re not impacted in any way.

“It’s very much business as usual for traders in areas like West Way and Plymouth Street. There are signs on site to emphasise this point but we’d like to remind people of the normal opening hours that are in place for shops and other businesses, despite the improvement works that have now started.”

Other features of the West Way scheme include the introduction of a right-turn for motorists from Glamorgan Street at its junction with Oystermouth Road. A new traffic island to separate north and southbound traffic adjacent to the bus station will also be put in place to enable easy access for buses entering and leaving the bus station.