Four major roads to revert to 30mph after review

Kieran Molloy, Local Democracy Reporter

Four major roads will see their speed limits restored to 30mph this month after the council approved changes prompted a review of the Welsh Government’s default 20mph scheme.

Sections of Newport Road, Western Avenue, Ocean Way and Hadfield Road will return to their original speed limit of 30mph following changes to signs, street lighting and resurfacing works where 20mph markings are in place.

Work on site on the major Cardiff roads is due to start later in the week. People working on Hadfield Road in Cardiff said they don’t understand why the road turned to 20mph and think it should go back to what it was when the council carries out

More specifically, Newport Road will return to 30mph for the length of the road, with the exception of St Illtyd’s Catholic School, which will stay at 20mph to protect students and other pedestrians.

Along Western Avenue, a section west of the Taff River Bridge will return to 30mph and on Hadfield Road, the speed limit will also revert to 30mph between its junctions at Leckwith Road and Penarth Road.

Finally, on Ocean Way, the speed limit will increase from its junction with Beignon Close to Rover way, except for the road next to the Ocean Park Sports Complex – this will remain at 20mph.

Cllr Dan De’Ath, the city’s cabinet member for transport, said: “Following our extensive review of public feedback on the Default 20mph Scheme, the Traffic Regulation Orders have now been legally sealed, and work will begin next week to implement the 30mph speed limits on these four routes.

“The 20mph policy is making our roads safer, particularly in residential areas and around schools, where lower speeds help reduce the risk and severity of collisions.

“The vast majority of Cardiff’s 20mph roads will remain unchanged because they continue to be the right speed limits for those communities.

“These changes show the review process working as intended, allowing councils to consider local circumstances and ensure we have the right speed limits on the right roads.

“By retaining 20mph where it delivers the greatest benefits and making targeted changes where appropriate, we can continue creating safer, healthier and more people-friendly streets across Cardiff.”

The changes follow requests submitted to the Welsh Government during its 2024 “listening” exercise .

Following the national ‘listening’ exercise between April and the end of August 2024 Cardiff Council received 933 requests for roads to be considered for a return to 30mph.

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