Trunk A-road
A487 traffic and collisions
The A487 is a trunk A-road of 159.7 miles, in Gwynedd. This page covers its traffic at 55 DfT count points since 2000 and the collisions police recorded on it.
- Traffic in 2025 398m vehicle miles
- Average daily traffic 6,833 vehicles a day, both directions
- Busiest section 24,635 A487 Roundabout near Isgaer / Llanfair Hall Farm to A4087/A487 Roundabout
- HGV share 3.5% of vehicle miles
- Traffic since 2019 −3.0% same count points
- Collisions, 2021 to 2025 426 23.3 per 100m vehicle miles
How busy is the A487?
On an average day in 2025, 6,833 vehicles passed each point on the A487, counting both directions. The busiest section is A487 Roundabout near Isgaer / Llanfair Hall Farm to A4087/A487 Roundabout (Gwynedd), with 24,635 a day; the quietest listed is A4219 to B4331, with 1,382.
Busiest sections, 2025
A487 Roundabout near Isgaer / Llanfair Hall Farm to A4087/A487 Roundabout carries 3.6 times the road’s average flow.
| Section | Vehicles a day |
|---|---|
| A487 Roundabout near Isgaer / Llanfair Hall Farm to A4087/A487 Roundabout Gwynedd · 3.3 mi · HGVs 3.6% | 24,635 |
| A4087 to A5 Gwynedd · 0.8 mi · HGVs 3.6% | 17,716 |
| North of Bethesda Bach to A487 Roundabout (Near Rhosdican Farm, Llanfaglan) Gwynedd · 2.3 mi · HGVs 3.5% | 15,993 |
| A4085/High Street to A497/A487 Minffordd Gwynedd · 0.6 mi · HGVs 2.6% | 15,558 |
| Caer Glyddyn to A487 Roundabout near Isgaer / Llanfair Hall Farm Gwynedd · 2.0 mi · HGVs 3.8% | 14,168 |
| Dew Street to A4076 Pembrokeshire · 0.5 mi · HGVs 0.9% | 14,054 |
| A4120 to A485 Ceredigion · 1.5 mi · HGVs 2.9% | 13,485 |
| A487 Roundabout (Near Rhosdican Farm, Llanfaglan) to Roundabout A4086/A487 Gwynedd · 1.9 mi · HGVs 4.5% | 12,553 |
| B4411 to A499 Gwynedd · 9.3 mi · HGVs 3.8% | 12,343 |
| Maeshendre to A44 Ceredigion · 1.1 mi · HGVs 0.6% | 12,320 |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
Route
In Gwynedd · 159.7 miles in 2 stretches
A487 traffic and collisions by section
46 sections between junctions, in route order (2 separate stretches). Each is the average of its DfT count points, weighted by length. 7 short link roads and spurs (4.4 miles) count in the road’s totals but are not listed.
Show all 46 sections Tap a column heading to sort
| # | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B4405 to A470Gwynedd · stretch 1 | 3,607 | 4 |
| 2 | Pont Felin-y-ffridd to B4405 (Minffordd)Gwynedd · stretch 1 | 3,136 | 9 |
| 3 | Heol Marngwyn to A489Powys · stretch 1 | 6,851 | 3 |
| 4 | A489 to B4353Powys, Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 4,549 | 31 |
| 5 | B4353 to A4159Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 9,990 | 22 |
| 6 | A4159 to Maeshendre, AberystwythCeredigion · stretch 1 | 7,762 | 15 |
| 7 | Maeshendre to A44Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 12,320 | 13 |
| 8 | A44 to A487 splitCeredigion · stretch 1 | 13,376 | 3 |
| 9 | A487 Bridge St (Heol-y-Bont) to A487 Northgate StCeredigion · stretch 1 | 11,905 | 18 |
| 10 | A487 Dan Dre (Mill St) to A4120Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 7,851 | 5 |
| 11 | At A4120Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 12,108 | fewer than 3 |
| 12 | A4120 to A485Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 13,485 | 4 |
| 13 | A485 to A482Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 6,555 | 55 |
| 14 | A482 to B4342WCeredigion · stretch 1 | 8,561 | 24 |
| 15 | B4342W to A486Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 5,461 | 7 |
| 16 | A486 to B4333Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 5,364 | 28 |
| 17 | B4333 to A484Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 8,254 | 14 |
| 18 | A484 to A478Ceredigion · stretch 1 | 8,601 | 0 |
| 19 | A478 to B4582Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 3,818 | 3 |
| 20 | B4582 to B4329Pembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 3,275 | 7 |
| 21 | B4329 to A40Pembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 2,888 | 26 |
| 22 | A487(T) Junction Nr. Fishguard Townhall to A487(T)/A487 Junction (Fishgaurd)Pembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 4,518 | fewer than 3 |
| 23 | A487(T)/A487 Junction (Fishgaurd) to A40(T)/A487 JunctionPembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 4,632 | fewer than 3 |
| 24 | A40E to A4219Pembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 1,589 | fewer than 3 |
| 25 | A4219 to B4331Pembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 1,382 | 6 |
| 26 | B4331 to A487 New St, St DavidsPembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 2,237 | 5 |
| 27 | Cross Square to New StPembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 2,475 | fewer than 3 |
| 28 | A487 Thomas Parry Way to A487 Nun StreetPembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 5,382 | 31 |
| 29 | A487 Perrots Road to A487 St. Davids Road RoundaboutPembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 1,626 | 0 |
| 30 | City Road to Dew StreetPembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 10,168 | 3 |
| 31 | Dew Street to A4076Pembrokeshire · stretch 1 | 14,054 | fewer than 3 |
| 32 | A470 to A496EGwynedd · stretch 2 | 6,834 | fewer than 3 |
| 33 | A496E to A496WGwynedd · stretch 2 | 8,322 | 0 |
| 34 | A496W to A4085Gwynedd · stretch 2 | 6,319 | 13 |
| 35 | A4085/High Street to A497/A487 MinfforddGwynedd · stretch 2 | 15,558 | 3 |
| 36 | A497 to A4971/High StreetGwynedd · stretch 2 | 9,014 | 5 |
| 37 | A4971/High Street to A498/Dublin StreetGwynedd · stretch 2 | 8,906 | fewer than 3 |
| 38 | A498S to B4411Gwynedd · stretch 2 | 5,540 | 3 |
| 39 | B4411 to A499Gwynedd · stretch 2 | 12,343 | 15 |
| 40 | North of Bethesda Bach to A487 Roundabout (Near Rhosdican Farm, Llanfaglan)Gwynedd · stretch 2 | 15,993 | 5 |
| 41 | A487 Roundabout (Near Rhosdican Farm, Llanfaglan) to Roundabout A4086/A487Gwynedd · stretch 2 | 12,553 | fewer than 3 |
| 42 | Caer Glyddyn to A487 Roundabout near Isgaer / Llanfair Hall FarmGwynedd · stretch 2 | 14,168 | fewer than 3 |
| 43 | A487 Roundabout near Isgaer / Llanfair Hall Farm to A4087/A487 RoundaboutGwynedd · stretch 2 | 24,635 | 3 |
| 44 | A4087 to A5Gwynedd · stretch 2 | 17,716 | 5 |
| 45 | A5 to road to Menai RdGwynedd · stretch 2 | 7,952 | fewer than 3 |
| 46 | road to Menai Rd to A5122 / A4080Gwynedd · stretch 2 | 8,284 | fewer than 3 |
Vehicles a day is the average daily flow in 2025. “Since 2019” compares the same count points. Collisions are those with the A487 as the first road, placed on the nearest section by their recorded position; rates (per 100 million vehicle miles) are shown for sections of half a mile or more with 10 or more.
A487 traffic by vehicle type
Cars and taxis make up 77.7% of the vehicle miles on the A487. HGVs account for 3.5%, rising to 7.8% on B4342W to A486.
Vehicle mix, 2025
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
HGV share of traffic
| Year | HGV share |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.5% |
| 2001 | 4.5% |
| 2002 | 4.3% |
| 2003 | 4.2% |
| 2004 | 4.1% |
| 2005 | 4.4% |
| 2006 | 4.0% |
| 2007 | 4.2% |
| 2008 | 4.8% |
| 2009 | 4.6% |
| 2010 | 4.6% |
| 2011 | 4.2% |
| 2012 | 4.2% |
| 2013 | 4.2% |
| 2014 | 4.2% |
| 2015 | 4.3% |
| 2016 | 4.0% |
| 2017 | 4.0% |
| 2018 | 3.9% |
| 2019 | 3.9% |
| 2020 | 4.6% |
| 2021 | 4.5% |
| 2022 | 3.9% |
| 2023 | 3.7% |
| 2024 | 3.5% |
| 2025 | 3.5% |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
A487 traffic trend
Traffic on the A487 came to 398 million vehicle miles in 2025. At the count points present in both years, it is down 3.0% on 2019, before the pandemic, and up 3.5% on 2015.
Vehicle miles a year
Like for like, traffic is up 21.9% on 2000.
| Year | Vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 321m |
| 2001 | 325m |
| 2002 | 331m |
| 2003 | 349m |
| 2004 | 347m |
| 2005 | 347m |
| 2006 | 350m |
| 2007 | 341m |
| 2008 | 342m |
| 2009 | 343m |
| 2010 | 341m |
| 2011 | 345m |
| 2012 | 342m |
| 2013 | 341m |
| 2014 | 354m |
| 2015 | 360m |
| 2016 | 375m |
| 2017 | 378m |
| 2018 | 379m |
| 2019 | 384m |
| 2020 | 264m |
| 2021 | 307m |
| 2022 | 366m |
| 2023 | 362m |
| 2024 | 392m |
| 2025 | 398m |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
Average daily flow
| Year | Vehicles a day |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 5,650 |
| 2001 | 5,726 |
| 2002 | 5,825 |
| 2003 | 6,139 |
| 2004 | 6,105 |
| 2005 | 6,112 |
| 2006 | 6,154 |
| 2007 | 6,000 |
| 2008 | 6,023 |
| 2009 | 6,043 |
| 2010 | 6,001 |
| 2011 | 6,065 |
| 2012 | 6,024 |
| 2013 | 6,009 |
| 2014 | 6,223 |
| 2015 | 6,343 |
| 2016 | 6,614 |
| 2017 | 6,667 |
| 2018 | 6,680 |
| 2019 | 6,763 |
| 2020 | 4,647 |
| 2021 | 5,398 |
| 2022 | 6,179 |
| 2023 | 6,241 |
| 2024 | 6,730 |
| 2025 | 6,833 |
Source:DfT,UK Motoring analysis 2000 to 2025 Updated
The chart counts the whole road as it was each year, so new or renumbered stretches move it. The percentage changes compare only count points present in both years (76.2% of today’s road for 2019). In 2025, 7 of the 55 count points were counted; DfT estimated the rest from earlier counts and local trends.
A487 collisions
Police recorded 426 collisions with the A487 as the first road from 2021 to 2025, 175 of them fatal or serious, including 14 fatal. That is 23.3 per 100 million vehicle miles, lower than the 31.5 for all A-roads in Great Britain. On average there were 0.5 a year for each mile of road.
Reported collisions by year
Up 7.1% from 2021 to 2025.
| Year | Slight | Fatal or serious |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51 | 33 |
| 2022 | 50 | 34 |
| 2023 | 51 | 34 |
| 2024 | 50 | 33 |
| 2025 | 50 | 40 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Sections with the highest collision rates
Per 100 million vehicle miles, 2021 to 2025. Sections of half a mile or more with 10 or more collisions.
| Section | Per 100m vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| A487 Bridge St (Heol-y-Bont) to A487 Northgate St Ceredigion · 18 collisions | 142.3 |
| A4159 to Maeshendre, Aberystwyth Ceredigion · 15 collisions | 64.2 |
| Maeshendre to A44 Ceredigion · 13 collisions | 54.2 |
| A487 Thomas Parry Way to A487 Nun Street Pembrokeshire · 31 collisions | 53.3 |
| A489 to B4353 Powys, Ceredigion · 31 collisions | 48.8 |
| B4329 to A40 Pembrokeshire · 26 collisions | 45.4 |
| A485 to A482 Ceredigion · 55 collisions | 36.5 |
| A482 to B4342W Ceredigion · 24 collisions | 34.4 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
A further 22 collisions were recorded at junctions where the A487 was the second road; they are not in the figures above. Fatal or serious uses DfT’s adjusted serious figures. How we count collisions
Council areas on the A487
In route order. Each is the highway authority DfT files the count points under.
- Gwynedd
- Powys
- Ceredigion
- Pembrokeshire
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic counts and vehicle mix | Road traffic statistics (AADF by count point) Department for Transport Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2000 to 2025 | 55 count points in 2025 | 15 September 2026 |
| Reported collisions | Road safety open data (STATS19) Department for Transport Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2021 to 2025 | 426 reported collisions | 15 September 2026 |
- Annual average daily flow (AADF) is the average number of vehicles passing a point on a typical day of the year, both directions combined.
- Vehicle miles are AADF multiplied by link length and 365, summed over every count point link on the road.
- Sections join count point links between junctions, using the link lines in DfT’s major road database.
- STATS19 covers personal injury collisions reported to the police. Damage-only collisions are not included, and not every injury collision is reported.
- Serious and slight figures are DfT’s adjusted estimates, which allow for police forces moving to injury-based reporting.
- Counts of one or two collisions below Great Britain level are shown as “fewer than 3”.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.