EditorCWMBWRLA: Road set to fully reopen on Tuesday as second culvert blockage cleared and flood risk drops to almost zero
The lane closure near Cwmbwrla Roundabout is set to be lifted on Tuesday after a major breakthrough at the Cwmfelin Club site, where contractors have now cleared both blockages in the underground culvert that has caused months of flooding misery in the area.
Cllr Peter Black, who represents the area and has kept residents updated throughout the lengthy works, shared the news on Facebook after receiving an update from the council.
According to the council update shared by Cllr Black, the contractors working on behalf of the Cwmfelin Social Club have now cleared the first blockage, located the second, and completed work on the final section.
The council update states that the culvert is now running at almost full capacity and the risk of further flooding on Carmarthen Road has dropped to almost zero. Welsh Water will now begin its own phase of works, expected to take up to three to four months to complete. The pumps are due to be removed and the road fully reopened on Tuesday, according to the update.
However, Gors Road — which has remained closed throughout the project — will not reopen until Welsh Water completes its resurfacing work at the very end of the process. Cllr Black confirmed this in response to questions from residents on Facebook, noting that it is Welsh Water, not the council, that is carrying out that phase of the works.
Asked by resident Donna Fairbairn whether the Gors Road surface could be completed sooner given the flooding risk has now effectively passed, Cllr Black said he would raise the question with Welsh Water. Fairbairn raised the impact on local businesses directly: “The detrimental effect on our businesses here has sadly suffered long enough. The volume of traffic cutting through private land is also a concerning hazard that needs to be addressed.”
On the question of the future of the Cwmfelin Club site itself, Cllr Black said it would be up to the club to decide, but noted that building over the culvert and sewer beneath would be difficult under current regulations.
Replying to questions from residents about costs, Cllr Black confirmed that the club is meeting the cost of the works from an insurance payout, and that the council will not be making any compulsory purchase of the land.
The Cwmfelin Club sinkhole has been one of the most significant infrastructure stories in Swansea over the past year. Swansea Bay News has followed the story from the beginning — from the initial culvert collapse blamed for the Cwmbwrla flooding and the demolition of the club building, to the discovery of a hidden Victorian tramway channel beneath the site that added further complexity to the repair work.
The full length of the cleared culvert running through the Cwmfelin site — Welsh Water will now begin its own phase of works lasting up to four months. Image: Cllr Peter BlackWater flowing freely through the excavated site as contractors complete work on the second blockage. Image: Cllr Peter BlackThe Victorian brick culvert beneath the Cwmfelin Club site, now running at almost full capacity following clearance of both blockages. Image: Cllr Peter BlackRelated stories from Swansea Bay News
Mystery deepens at Cwmfelin sinkhole as engineers uncover hidden tramway channel
How engineers discovered a Victorian-era tramway beneath the site.
Huge scale of sinkhole that keeps flooding Swansea revealed as diggers tear into site
The scale of the problem laid bare as excavation work began.
Demolition of Cwmfelin Social Club begins after two years on edge of giant sinkhole
The moment the club building came down.
Council blames collapsed culvert — not drains — for Cwmbwrla flooding
How the culvert collapse was identified as the root cause of the flooding.
