A LORRY driver arrested following a crash on Newport’s South Distributor Road (SDR) on Tuesday morning has been bailed pending further enquiries.

The 39-year-old was arrested for driving without due care after his lorry overturned around 9.55am at the Leeway roundabout. Police have bailed him to September 24.

Yesterday the Argus reported that roadworks were currently taking place to improve the Nash Road roundabout overnight including road-resurfacing and changing the number of lanes on the approach. Improvements are due to be made on the Leeway roundabout next year.

Lliswerry councillors Roger Jeavons, who chaired a scrutiny committee looking into the problems, and Allan Morris shared concerns about the road and hope that improvements will reduce the number of accidents.

Another Lliswerry councillor John Richards said he had been concerned about the SDR since it opened 10 years ago. In the last decade, there have been nearly 20 accidents involving overturned heavy goods vehicles.

Cllr Richards said: “When it first opened we were worried about certain aspects of it, about the design of it.

“In certain areas it leaves a lot to be desired, three lanes into two, the roundabout at the bottom of Nash Road and the footbridge are problems, but in fairness, the contractors put that right and added an extra length to the footbridge.

“They listened to the four councillors on that. We’ve had a reasonable relationship with them.

“As councillors, we’ve raised it a number of times. Things are getting worse before they get better.

“Cllr Jeavons is scrutiny chairman and he’s looking at the problems in some detail. I’m worried about the accidents, someone might get killed and that’s the day everybody will take an interest and that’s not the time.

“It’s the responsibility of Vinci [the contractors] to maintain the road, I don’t want to criticise them but the buck’s got to stop with someone.

“It’s not the council. We have a bit of a partnership, but the maintenance of the road isn’t within the realm of the council.

“This latest spate of crashes is a worry. When a lorry goes over it’s frightening, what if a car was by the side?”

No-one was available to comment from Morgan Vinci.