A NEW joint campaign to persuade Ministers in Cardiff to act urgently to reopen Cardigan’s Tesco junction is getting under way .

The Chamber of Commerce and members of the town council discussed the junction and other traffic problems in the town this week and support for taking action to the Senedd was strong.

"With the Bath-house construction work getting under way with all the access problems there are with that we now have a whole new load of traffic issues affecting the town. We need to get the Tesco junction re-opened without further delay to at least help alleviate some of the new problems we have," said Chamber chairman Paul Oakley.

"We are sick and tired of being fobbed off by highways people in Ceredigion and Cardiff who just don’t care about our welfare here in Cardigan."

Town mayor Mark Cole added: "We should make this a joint venture to keep pushing the Ministers. We are not just talking about a road junction. They need to understand how this affects the whole town and we will really have to push the point. It is at least 18 months since we last had a delegation to Ieuan Wyn Jones, who is in charge of roads, and there is still no change. It is time to go again."

Chamber member Jim Evans said: "We will have to make a details and take it to the highest level and seek a meeting with the Minister. We all want to see him on the same issue and we have a strong case to make."

Cllr Catrin Miles pointed out that there were fresh concerns about the by-pass junction now that construction is getting started at Bath-house.

"All that traffic will have to get out of town and much of it will have to go through Feidr Fair. There are safety issues there with the children going to the junior school. It’s just a mockery of a by-pass," she said.

Cllr Gethin James, Aberporth, has already added his backing to the campaign.

"The people in Cardiff need to realise that leaving this junction closed is the equivalent of closing Junction 33 on the M4. How would they like that for years on end?"