A new active travel route linking Glan Conwy to Llandudno Junction is on track to open later this summer, giving walkers, runners and cyclists a fully traffic-free path towards Conwy and the fringes of Eryri.
The final 1.5km stretch, known as Lôn yr Adar, has just reached a milestone of its own. Year 6 pupils from Ysgol Glan Conwy have named the route’s two new bridges (Pont Sanffraid over the Conwy Valley railway and Pont y Brwyn over the Afon Ganol) and become the first people to walk across them, as part of a school council project.
Once open, the new section will connect at the Green Seat layby near Glan Conwy to the already completed stretch running from there to RSPB Conwy, itself finished as Phase 1 of the wider scheme. Together, the two phases create 2.5km of continuous, traffic-free path all the way from Glan Conwy to the Conwy embankment, replacing journeys that previously meant either a 3.25km walk or ride along main roads with narrow pavements, or a longer 3.5km detour through an industrial estate on public footpaths .
That matters well beyond Glan Conwy itself. The route also links onward to the Wales Coast Path and Conwy town, and connects to the Conwy West active travel route towards Conwy Morfa, meaning people from Mochdre and Colwyn Bay now have a realistic, pleasant walking or cycling option into Conwy, and from there straight towards Conwy Mountain and the northern edge of Eryri, rather than relying on cars or unpleasant roadside routes.
Phase 2 work on the Glan Conwy stretch began in September 2025 and has been running to a completion target of July 2026, according to Conwy Council. Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders visited the site earlier this year and praised progress on a scheme that has been campaigned for locally for almost two decades, noting the bridges use British steel and Ruthin stone.conwy.gov+1
The wider project has cost £5.6m, funded through the UK Government’s Levelling Up scheme with a 10% match from Conwy Council, and built by contractor Jennings Building and Civil Engineering Ltd of Colwyn Bay. A 2023 public consultation found 66% of respondents said they would use the route at least weekly once complete, with safety concerns around the Black Cat Roundabout cited as the main current barrier to walking or cycling the corridor.
The already-open Phase 1 section, running from RSPB Conwy to the Conwy Valley railway bridge, is well known to local runners as it now forms part of the Conwy Parkrun course. The popular 5k was paused for around four months in 2025 while the gravel path there was rebuilt in smooth tarmac and lighting was added. It returned in July 2025 on a temporary course starting near Conwy Castle, before reverting fully to its original RSPB start point on 20 June 2026, now benefiting from the upgraded surface.
Pupils involved in naming the new bridges also contributed to a time capsule due to be buried on site ahead of the official opening. Class teacher Michelle Evans said the project had given children a genuine say in something permanent in their community, while Cllr Sharon Doleman, the Glan Conwy ward member, and Council Leader Cllr Julie Fallon both welcomed the involvement of local schoolchildren in the scheme.
Conwy Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Roads and Facilities, Cllr Mike Priestley, said the wider active travel network is designed to make everyday journeys easier and safer for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and those with prams, while also opening up leisure access towards the coast and the mountains for residents and visitors alike.
Key facts on the route:
- Length: approximately 1.5km (Phase 2, Glan Conwy to Green Seat layby), joining a completed 1.5-2km Phase 1 stretch (RSPB Conwy to railway bridge) for 2.5km of continuous traffic-free path to the Conwy embankment
- Old journey options: 3.25km via main roads with narrow pavements, or 3.5km via an industrial estate and public footpaths
- New bridges: Pont Sanffraid (over the railway) and Pont y Brwyn (over the Afon Ganol), named by Ysgol Glan Conwy pupils
- Cost: £5.6m, UK Government funded with 10% council match
- Contractor: Jennings Building and Civil Engineering Ltd, Colwyn Bay
- Phase 2 timeline: September 2025 to July 2026
- Connects to: Wales Coast Path, Conwy town, Conwy West active travel route, and the Conwy Parkrun course
A video released by Conwy Council shows the Ysgol Glan Conwy pupils becoming the first to walk across the new bridge from the Green Seat layby .
