Wait for M4 relief road alternatives ‘not acceptable’
Nicholas Thomas, local democracy reporter
Drivers ‘continue to see the M4 at a standstill’, and the wait for transport improvements is ‘not acceptable’, councillors have warned.
Four years have passed since a transport commission published a blueprint for improving travel around Newport, recommending a series of new railway stations and a more integrated bus and train network.
The Welsh Government has backed the commission’s work, and in October this year unveiled more detailed proposals for the city.
If the wide-ranging project goes ahead, work is estimated to take place between 2025 and 2030 but will come at an £810 million cost – with the Welsh Government anticipated to contribute £425m and the remaining £385 from the UK Government.
‘Transformational’
At the time, Welsh transport secretary Ken Skates heralded the proposals as an “absolutely transformational project” for Newport and the surrounding area.
A Newport City Council meeting, held on Tuesday November 26, heard frustrations over the pace of progress, however.
Cllr Chris Reeks said: “We continue to see the M4 at a standstill on a daily basis around the Brynglas Tunnels, which brings excessive traffic onto the streets of Newport, and creates further traffic and air quality problems as well”.
The local authority has “a duty to the businesses and residents of Newport to lobby the Welsh Government to look at road alternatives to ease this congestion and improve residents’ lives and the economy of our area,” he added.
M4 relief road plan
In response, Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, who leads the city council, reiterated he had supported the M4 relief road plan which the Welsh Government scrapped in 2019.
He said Cllr Rhian Howells, the cabinet member for infrastructure, would travel to London today (Wednesday November 27) “to help lobby the Westminster government” on those road alternatives mentioned by Cllr Reeks.
“I talk to Welsh Government ministers all the time,” Cllr Batrouni added. “It’s not acceptable, it inhibits Newport’s growth and we shouldn’t accept that.”
Despite the call for action, Cllr Reeks also warned that removing Old Green Roundabout in the city centre – which is one of the projects proposed by the transport commission, and currently being developed – could be counter-productive.
“Ironically, Old Green Roundabout was originally built in the 1970s to ease the queues of traffic heading into the city centre,” he said. “But there’s a high probability now, that should the measure be implemented and the roundabout removed, that we will revert back to gridlocked roads and daily traffic chaos.”
Cllr Howells said the commission had judged the roundabout could be reconfigured “without an unacceptable impact on general traffic”.
“This project will see tens of millions of pounds of investment coming into the centre of Newport to modernise and update our infrastructure,” she told the meeting.
Cllr Reeks claimed many residents were opposed to the project, but Cllr Howells said the preferred option, following a consultation period and “detailed traffic modelling”, will deliver a “balance of benefits” for walkers, cyclists and motorists.
“I can assure Cllr Reeks that conversations with stakeholders are ongoing, and where issues have been raised and practical workable solutions can be found we will look to accommodate these,” she added. “As part of the Burns Delivery Group, we’ll continue to be engaged with various projects and will ensure that they achieve the best results for Newport.”
Following the meeting, Cllr Reeks, a Conservative, said he was “pleased” to hear a cabinet member would lobby the UK Government for funding.
He added: “Hopefully, working together with the leader and the Labour administration at Newport City Council, we can make some headway into resolving the continual daily traffic chaos that grinds Newport to a halt and puts visitors and businesses off from venturing across the Prince of Wales Bridge towards the city.”
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Even if we approved the M4 now it would take a long time to build and the associated roadworks would slow things down in the meantime. And by the time it was done it would probably cost around £3bn.
And within 5 years it would be congested again due to induced demand and we’d be right back where we started.
The only way we are going to get cars off the M4 is offering viable alternatives to driving, especially to move around Newport. Offering that will also take time but will be a lot better in the long run.
The alternatives must come first otherwise they’ll never happen but eventually “legitimate” traffic that can’t use the alternatives will grow as the region grows and we’ll be back to where we are. That’s different to induced demand which includes traffic that would use the alternatives if they existed.
Nobody visits Newport thats why they’re on the M4 to bypass it its got nothing to do elwith getting cars off the M4 and producing viable solutions.
Borrow the spare HS2 boring machines and go under Newport. When Whitehall finally agrees to chip in, that is.
I think that Welsh government plan of just adding more traffic officers to the route hasn’t worked.
For any commuters to the cities, surely a park & ride at Magor & St Mellons area be the only alternative. The 3 lanes into 2 at Magor and Brynglass is the issue. Get commuters to rely on a very efficient, frequent rail service to complete their journey.
A park and ride near Magor services and a train station in glan llyn I think would greatly inprove traffic getting to cardiff ciry centre
Also because glan llyn estate has grown alot since I’ve moved here making another road or walk way to get to the retail park would stop the traffic building by Tesco spytty and help people come off motorway and though Newport.
Also why is the the traffic light on bridge near morrisons changing red when no one is crossing it never use to. Its causing more start stop traffic near there since this changed
It’s always the South that gets the investment!
Where not getting the right investment. We need a relief road. They just waste our money as always on things that don’t work.
North or South. They don’t care about any of us trust me. I live in Newport. It’s a complete joke. M4 traffic travelling through the town centre every day because the M4 is gridlocked.
The pollution is a joke, no other alternative than building a bloody road. Instead they waste our money as always.
Feel bad for road uses who have no choice bit todo that journey on m4 near tunnels tbh.
Please don’t confuse “the south” with “Cardiff”
It’s not the traffic that “puts visitors and businesses off from venturing across the Prince of Wales Bridge towards the city” it’s the city! Plenty of visitors in Cardiff. Unfortunately past mistakes – busy roads which cut off the centre from the river, and too many retail parks – have made Newport a sad place to visit. Hopefully the council can sort that out
Stop trying to force people to use public transport. People like being independent and alot people enjoy driving where they can. I really hope the people in charge of these use public transport throughout Wales as be of a hipacrit and selfie gain if you ask me.
Let’s just slow motorway traffic to 50 mph thtoughout newport and make most national seed limits reduced by ten mph to slow down traffic and default everywhere 20mph. That should have surely helped reduce it? Also because there are less accidents now i hope this will reduce my insurance next year. If any thing that i think make sense is to limit 17 – 21 year old insurnces with black boxes only for first year or two so they cant be speeding over speed limits and size of the car engine no bigger rhen 1.2cc for 17 to 21 year… Read more »
The M4 is already reduced to 50mph around Newport. Between Junction 24 for Tredegar Park and Junction 28 for the Coldra roundabout there is a permanent 50mph limit and there are average speed check cameras. If you’re travelling at rush hour(s) it does actually make a difference. You’re still moving slowly, but you are at least moving. I can remember what that stretch of M4 used to be like before any kind of limits were brought in, it was often simply a car park. Unfortunately however, outside of rush hour it is still constantly busy. There is rarely a time… Read more »
Transport around Newport ain’t the issue. It transport to and from Wales to England. It gridlocks going through. not to newport.