The boardwalk near Llyn Cwellyn has been repaired. Photo: Kenneth Yarham CC-BY-SA-2.0

A car park at the foot of one of the routes to Wales’s highest mountain is to have its capacity almost doubled.

Contractors are currently redesigning the Snowdon Ranger car park on the shores of Llyn Cwellyn.

The parking area is close to the path leading up the western spur of Snowdon, which also passes the popular climbing crags of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu.

When the works, which are planned to take six weeks, are complete, the capacity of the car park will increase from 37 to 61. The facility is owned by Snowdonia National Park Authority.

The accessible Janus lakeside path is also close to the parking area.

Edward Jones, the authority’s property manager, said: “Not only has the car park increased in its popularity due to those who wish to walk up Snowdon, but the recent work of improving and extending the boardwalk has also contributed to a busy car park.

“A number of organisations, including Bro Garmon Community Council expressed their concerns regarding road safety in this area, in particular at peak times, when there were cars parked on the roadside.

The planned layout of the car park

“The new design now means that the capacity of the car park has nearly doubled and we are extremely grateful to the Welsh Government for the capital grant to enable us to implement the plan.

“After completion, this work will provide a valuable contribution towards mitigating the challenges of parking around the foot of Snowdon.”

Part of the car park is planned to remain open during the development works to offer a limited number of parking spaces.

The Snowdon Ranger path leads from the station of the same name on the Welsh Highland Railway to Bwlch Glas where it joins the Pyg Track and the Llanberis Path before continuing to the 1,085m (3,560ft) summit of Snowdon.

The Janus Trail opened in 2007-8. Repairs were made last year to the boardwalk enabling people of all abilities to enjoy the route.