“Driver frustration” due to a “lack of overtaking opportunities over a long distance” has led to a new £17.4m scheme to widen and add an extra lane to the A487 at Aberarth.

The proposed scheme will introduce two new climbing lane sections north of Aberarth.

It is one of two schemes mooted for the coast road alongside a £5.95m development to build a roundabout and overtaking lane at Llanrhystud.

The Aberarth scheme would see one climbing lane provide 850m of formal overtaking opportunity northbound, with the other providing 1,000m of formal overtaking in the opposing southbound direction.

The proposed scheme would need authorities to purchase land from owners to widen the road, with no agreements yet in place.

Alternative access for landowners has also been built into the scheme, which will also feature a new “rest area and viewing point” to replace the two lay-bys which would be lost under the new road arrangements.

The area of the A487 by Aberarth is identified as one of the “priority schemes” by the Welsh Government, which said that “slow moving vehicles on this part of the network caused by the steep gradients can cause driver frustration due to the lack of safe overtaking opportunities over a long distance impacting journey time reliability.”

“Sections of the A487 currently have poor alignment causing visibility and safety issues,” the Welsh Government also said, while the B4577 junction with the A487 in Aberarth has “visibility issues and safety concerns.”

This section of the A487 has seen 11 collisions in the past five years, figures show, including two which were a result of vehicles trying to overtake slower moving vehicles.

Seven of the 11 incidents were a result of either overtaking manoeuvres, the geometry of the road, or poor visibility.

A consultation report says that the proposed scheme would “reduce the number of private accesses with direct access onto the A487”, as well as “reduce driver stress and frustration in both directions as the climbing lanes allow the opportunity for drivers to safely overtake slow moving vehicles”.

The scheme will mean “improved journey time reliability for vehicles in both directions”, and subsequently “improve connectivity between Aberystwyth and Aberaeron.”

The Welsh Government said that while there is “potential for short-term delays during construction”, the “impacts will be minimised”.

The scheme will also see three kilometres of “active travel” infrastructure, with a new shared-use footpath and cycleway to “improve facilities for walkers and cyclists”, and to link into existing public rights of way.

Improvements to the B4577 junction at the south of scheme, including improved visibility and road geometry, will also be made, while the new rest area and viewing point will “promote tourism and provide a safe stopping location for longer distance”.

While the scheme takes place, the highway drainage and surfacing will also be carried out, reducing the need for maintenance over the next decade, the report outlined.

The proposals will also see planting and landscaping to “enhance biodiversity and ecosystem resilience”.

Consultation representations can be made on the project website at gov.wales/a487-aberarth-safety-scheme. The consultation runs until 23 April.