A ROAD in Torfaen is set to be closed temporarily for the next couple of weeks to allow tree removal work to continue. 

Torfaen County Borough Council have confirmed that Foundry Road in Abersychan will be closed for a short period each day over the next two weeks to allow the safe removal of diseased Common Ash trees. 

The road will be closed between the hours of 9.30am to 2.30pm on the weeks Monday, March 4 to Friday, March 8 and Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 11. 

The trees are currently infected with ash dieback, which is predicted to infect almost 80 per cent of ash trees in the UK and has already led to the removal of trees elsewhere in South Wales. 

Trees with the same ash dieback problem were removed from Bulmore Road in Newport earlier in February, with the work delayed beyond six weeks, mostly due to flooding. 

In 2020 hundreds of trees were cut down in woodland along part of Caerleon Road as the council removed those at risk of ash dieback across the city.

The council have confirmed that an alternative route will be available for cars during the hours the road is closed. 

The alternative route is via Lodge Road, Church Road, High Street, and Broad Street, and vice versa.

Access for emergency service vehicles and pedestrians will be maintained on Foundry Road, while school traffic will be given access between 8am-9am and 2.30pm to 4.30pm each day. 

However, there will be no bus services between 9am-2.30pm, so anyone who usually takes the bus from Foundry Road during these hours are advised to make alternative arrangements for their travel. 

A council statement on social media said: "We appreciate that these closures are not ideal, but we need to reduce the risk to the public and the highway as soon as possible."