Most major road projects in Wales scrapped – list

Aaron Morby 2 years ago
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Most major road building projects in Wales have been scrapped after the Welsh Government decided to give greater priority to environmental concerns.

Plans for a third Menai bridge will not go ahead, nor major M4 improvements or the controversial £300m Red Route in Flintshire.

Of around 55 road projects placed under review, just 17 were green-lighted and even those come with recommendations for further modifications.

The publication of the Welsh government’s National Transport Plan follows a year-long review.

Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters said the time had come to set the direction for the future of transport in Wales.

He also blamed funding cuts and inflation for curbing the programme.

He told the Welsh Senedd: “We will not get to Net Zero unless we stop doing the same thing over and over.”

“When we published the Wales Transport Strategy two years ago, we committed to start upon a llwybr newydd – a new path.

Waters said: “The publication of this Roads Review, along with the National Transport Delivery Plan, and our new Roads Policy Statement, represents a major step forward on that journey.”

Strategic Welsh road network review
Colour key – Could proceed with changes HaltedInsufficient info for review
South West Wales
M4 J43-47 Swansea
M4 J38-43 Port Talbot
A487 Fishguard to Cardigan
A40 Carmarthen to Llandeilo Corridor
A40 Carmarthen to St Clears
A4076 Haverfordwest
A48 Cross Hands to Pensarn Corridor (final decision to be taken)
A48 Nantycaws Junction Improvement
South East Wales
M4 J35-38 Bridgend
A4042 Southern Corridor, Pontypool to M4
Cardiff Eastern Transport Corridor
M4 Junction J32-35 & A470 Coryton to Merthyr Corridors
Mid Wales
A487 Dorglwyd Comins Coch
A40 Millbrook Farm, Brecon
A44 Llangurig to Aberystwyth
A470 Alltmawr (Chapel House Farm)
A470 Caersws
A470 Llangurig
A470 Llanidloes
A470 Pont y Bat (Felinfach)
A487 Llanrhystyd
A487 Machynlleth
A494 Maesgammedd Road Jnct Improvement
A487 North of Aberarth
A487 Rhiwstaerdywyll
North Wales
A494 Lon Fawr Ruthin/ Corwen Road
A487 Llwyn Mafon
A483 Wrexham Bypass Junction 3 to 6
A5/ A483 Halton Roundabout
A55 At-grade crossing review
A55 J33b Ewloe to A494 Queensferry interchange corridor study
A55 – Junction 23 to 24 Corridor Study
A55 – Junction 24 to 29 Corridor Study
A55 – Junction 30 to 32a Corridor Study
A55 Junctions 14-16a (review completed)
A55 Slow moving vehicle over taking restrictions
A55 / A494 Network Resilience Study
Flintshire Corridor Improvement
Third Menai Crossing
Economic development
Warren Hall, Flintshire (North Wales)
Llanfrechfa, Cwmbran (South East Wales)
Celtic Business Park, Fishguard (South West Wales)
South West Wales
Llanelli Urban and Coastal Belt Network Improvements
Carmarthenshire Strategic Public Transport Corridors
Cymmer Carriageway Improvements, Neath Port Talbot
Newgale Coastal Adaptation and A487 diversion scheme
Northern City Link Sustainable Transport Corridor, Swansea
South East Wales
Aberbeeg Road, Blaenau Gwent
A469 Troedrhiwfuwch
Cynon Gateway North
Llanharan Bypass
Severn Tunnel Junction Access
North Wales
NW Metro – Abergele Town Centre Congestion Improvement
NW Metro – Llandudno Congestion Improvement Phase 4
Chester-Broughton Growth Corridor (North Wales)

 

The Roads Review Panel consisted of an independent expert group tasked with assessing the present programme against the new roads policy for a modal shift in transport towards net zero.

Waters said: “Let me be very clear at the outset, we will still invest in roads – but we are raising the bar for where new roads are the right response to transport problems.

“We are also investing in real alternatives, including investment in rail, bus, walking and cycling projects.

“Of course, doing that in an age of austerity is very challenging. Not only are we not getting our share of HS2 investment, but the UK Government is pushing many bus services over a cliff edge, as well as slashing our capital investment budgets.

“Even if we’d wanted to keep progressing all the road schemes in the pipeline we just do not have the money to do so.

“Our capital budget will be 8% lower next year in real terms as a result of the UK Government’s failure to invest in infrastructure.”

The panel also set out four new road building tests to apply when considering investment in future proposals.

Going forward, the Welsh Government will only consider future road investment for projects that:

  • Reduce carbon emissions and support a shift to public transport, walking and cycling
  • improve safety through small-scale change
  • help the Welsh Government adapt to the impacts of climate change
  • provide connections to jobs and areas of economic activity in a way that maximises the use of public transport, walking and cycling

In developing schemes, the focus should be on minimising carbon emissions, not increasing road capacity, not increasing emissions through higher vehicle speeds and not adversely affecting ecologically valuable sites.

 

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