THE £135 million Caernarfon and Bontnewydd bypass has finally been given the go ahead by the Welsh Government.

This morning’s announcement by First Minister Carwyn Jones is the culmination of several years of delays, that will now see work start on the six mile route as soon as November.

It will be built from the Goat roundabout on the A499/A487 junction to the Plas Menai roundabout, meaning motorists can avoid Llanwnda, Dinas, Bontnewydd and Caernarfon.

It will be made up of three sections separated by new roundabouts at Meifod and Cibyn.

The work is expected to take three years and should be completed by the spring of 2021 and is expected to create hundreds of jobs.

The First Minister was in Bontnewydd this morning, to deliver the news.

He said : “The bypass will not only help connect communities in the area through sustainable and resilient infrastructure, but also provide a vital link to the A55 and beyond to Ireland, England and Europe.

“It also presents a big opportunity for local employment, workforce training and apprenticeships, especially during the construction phase.”

Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, Ken Skates, added: “This is a major scheme and one which will bring many benefits to the area. It will be a real boost to the region and foster conditions for sustainable economic development and employment opportunities.

“The bypass will help remove traffic congestion, improve air quality and reduce noise emissions in Caernarfon, Bontnewydd and the surrounding villages resulting in healthier communities and environments. It will also provide improved links to tourist destinations in the Ll?n Peninsula and Snowdonia as well as great opportunities for active travel within and around Caernarfon by linking with surrounding communities.”

Arfon Asembly Member, Sian Gwenllian, claimed the announcement as a victory for Plaid Cymru.

The party has been urging the Welsh Government to give the green light for work to begin on building the road which was initially supposed to start in 2016.

Mrs Gwenllian said: “Plaid Cymru have long campaigned to see this important development take place and today we welcome the long awaited statement from the Welsh Government,” she added,

“The new bypass will be a huge boost to both our national and local economies, will strengthen our infrastructure, provide increased employment opportunities for our residents as well as bringing long term social benefits.

“I look forward now to seeing the project proceed and will be holding the Welsh Government to account to ensure that progress is completed by 2021 as promised.”

The news was welcomed by the contractors appointed to build the bypass.

Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK contracts director, Hefin Lloyd-Davies described it as “very, very good news” for local residents and for the local economy.

Jones Bros Civil is in a joint venture partnership with Balfour Beatty to build the road

Mr Lloyd-Davies: “Under our programme of work, there will be new job opportunities for operatives and delivery staff, as well as work for existing Jones Bros employees, more than 90 per cent of whom live locally in North Wales.

“We envisage that at the peak of construction around 200 personnel will be working on the bypass.

“We look forward to hearing from the Welsh Government about it in due course.”