The Assembly Member who brokered a £50million agreement with the Welsh Government to build a bypass around Llandeilo has expressed his concern at the perceived delay in getting the project underway.

Plaid Cymru AM Adam Price said he is seeking urgent clarification from the Economy Secretary after warning the project could be as much as 10 months behind schedule.

In a series of letters to the Economy Secretary, Mr Price has been seeking confirmation that the indicative timetable provided to him by the Welsh Government in January was being met.

That indicative plan suggested the route appraisals would be completed this summer.

Further correspondence to Plaid Cymru representatives has exposed how the appraisal, which was due for completion in the summer, had not been started in October, with more recent correspondence confirming it had not even been started in December.

Were the appraisal to take a full six months, as suggested by government officials, Mr Price says the project could then be 10 months behind.

Striking a more positive tone Mr Price said the indicative timetable does allow “space for the Welsh Government to catch up and start construction in 2019 as planned”.

He added that in order to meet that date the government must “get its act together.”

Mr Price said: “I am concerned that the timetable for Llandeilo bypass has already slipped, with a potential for it to have a 10 month delay in its initial stage.

“Given the Llandeilo bypass has been on the agenda for 50 years with a number of promises made and broken in the past, many of my constituents are understandably sceptical as to whether the £50million agreement I achieved will be honoured by the Labour Welsh Government. Regrettably the delay will do little to give my constituents confidence.

“The Cabinet Secretary told me personally that the appraisal of the route would likely be completed in the summer and the contractor to design and build the bypass would likely be in place by the end of this year. On the face of the correspondence I’ve had it would appear that neither of these have been achieved yet.

“The indicative timetable does allow space for the Welsh Government to catch up and start construction in 2019 as planned. But in order to meet that date it must get its act together.”

“The Llandeilo bypass must and will be delivered."