A PART of the A470 in Powys has reopened after heavy rain led to a hole appearing in the highway – which had forced some motorists into a 66-mile detour.

The Welsh Government announced this morning (November 18) that a section of the A470 at Talerddig has now reopened, having been shut for 9 days.

A traffic light system has been put in place and repair work has included temporary safety barriers being introduced, as well as repair work to the embankment.

Traffic Wales tweeted at around 8.30am today: “The A470 road at Talerddig has now re-opened.

“A traffic light system is in place, so please allow additional time for travel.

“Temporary repair works to the embankment were completed and temporary safety barriers were installed last night.

“Thank you for your patience.”

On Friday, the Welsh Government confirmed it had been aware of defects in the A470 more than a year before the collapse of the side wall that left the road closed.

It confirmed they were made aware of “minor defects” in the stretch of road near Talerddig before the collapse left a substantial hole in the side of the road.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Regular monitoring work picked up minor defects prior to July 2022 but these were not considered a risk to the carriageway.”

The road has been closed since Thursday, November 9, between Carno and Dolfach, after the side wall collapsed following heavy rain, leaving a significant hole in the structure of the highway.

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This closure has led to traffic disruption throughout the area, with a 66-mile official detour being put in force by the Welsh Government, leading to many using narrow one lane side roads to avoid it.

This in turn has led to many villages in the area experiencing unusually bad traffic issues, with far more vehicles than usual using the roads.

The closure has also led to disruption with public transport with multiple bus routes being shortened or cancelled.

Plaid Cymru councillor Elwyn Vaughan said traffic lights had been at this location for the last two years and claims a failure to invest in repairs earlier will now mean a more costly fix now.