The junction where Gower Road meets Goetre Fach Road and Goetre Fawr Road has long been one of Swansea’s worst flood hotspots, with stormwater regularly pooling so deeply that cars stall, pavements vanish and the whole area grinds to a halt.
Locals say it’s been happening for years — and now Swansea Council has finally revealed the engineering blueprint it hopes will put an end to it.
New 600mm overflow pipe planned to take pressure off failing drains
According to council engineers, the existing drainage system simply can’t cope with the volume of water that barrels through the square during heavy rain. Their proposed fix is a new 600mm overflow pipe running from the junction to the open watercourse behind Killay Library, which feeds into a tributary of the River Clyne.
The idea is to split the flow between the old pipe and the new one, giving the system enough capacity to stop the junction flooding every time there’s a downpour.
The scheme is currently at the outline design stage, with surveys running until the end of 2025. Officers say that — if the Welsh Government signs off the next round of funding — construction could begin in late 2026 and last six to nine months.
Flooding has repeatedly cut off buses, emergency vehicles and homes
Killay Square’s flooding problems aren’t just an inconvenience. Historic events have blocked access for emergency services, forced bus diversions and caused damage to nearby homes and businesses.
With climate change increasing the intensity of storms, engineers warn the situation will only get worse unless the drainage network is upgraded.
(Image: Swansea Council)
Second Gower flood hotspot also under review
The same funding pot is also being used to investigate flooding along the A4118 between Scurlage and Llandewi on Gower, another stretch of road that regularly disappears under water during severe weather.
Consultants will now carry out detailed studies to understand what’s causing the problem and what can be done to fix it.
Council says it’s determined to get on top of the problem
Cllr Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment & Infrastructure, said:
“Ongoing problems with flooding at both Killay Square and Scurlage are something we are keen to tackle and reduce.
“The grant we have received through the Welsh Government Resilient Roads Fund has given us the opportunity to look at both sites, see what the causes are and come up with proposed solutions.
“In terms of Killay, we are now at the stage of presenting a solution to the public that we believe will help reduce flooding.”
Residents invited to comment — but the fix is already on the table
While the council is asking residents for feedback, the core design is already in place. The consultation is mainly aimed at explaining the scheme, outlining the likely disruption and gathering views before the final funding bid is submitted.
The consultation runs until 11.59pm on Sunday 1 February 2026.
Residents can take part at: www.swansea.gov.uk/killayfloodingsurvey
Groups and businesses can also email feedback to transportstrategy@swansea.gov.uk.
