Gwent AM’s call for progress on M4 relief (From South Wales Argus)
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Gwent AM’s call for progress on M4 relief
4:56pm Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News
CALL: South East Wales AM, William Graham
SOUTH East Wales AM, William Graham, will tell the Senedd tomorrow that Monday’s crash on the M4 near Newport once again highlighted that "a single traffic artery" across South Wales was inadequate.
A three car crash shortly before 7.30am briefly closed the Westbound carriageway between junction 26, for Malpas, and junction, 27, for High Cross, causing travel chaos for morning commuters.
Drivers reported that their journey’s in to work were taking more than three times as long as usual as queues piled up along A449, A48 and other main roads leading to and from the motorway.
Mr Graham is to urge Carl Sargeant, the Minister for local government and communities to make a statement on what progress was being made to address the M4 relief issue.
Mr Graham is due to tell the Plenary meeting at the Senedd: "I appreciate that the consultation concerning the M4 Corridor Enhancement Measures from Magor to Castleton only concluded three months ago; however Monday’s crash between junctions 26 & 27 on the M4 around Newport highlighted once again the inadequacies of a single traffic artery across South Wales.
"Not only did the accident, which was on the Westbound side of the M4 result in 6 miles of tailbacks beyond junction 24, but traffic on the Eastbound side of the M4, slowing to look at this accident, caused further combined tailbacks of approximately 10 miles along both the M4 and the A48M.
"Can the Minister for Local Government and Communities make a statement on the progress towards addressing the inadequacies of a single traffic artery across South Wales and the implementation of the results of the consultation?"
Three options for easing congestion on the M4 were up for consultation.
Option A involved a new relief road being created. The dual carriageway would run from junction 29 of the M4 to junction 23 for the M48.
Option B proposes the widening of the M4 to four lanes, including the Brynglas tunnel
Option C puts forward a plan that would effectively turn the SDR into an expressway with flyovers
Comments(8)
Magor
says...
6:48pm Tue 9 Oct 12
Limestonecowboy
says...
8:31pm Tue 9 Oct 12
Mervyn James
says...
7:56am Wed 10 Oct 12
Bobevans
says...
1:47pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Cymru Am Beth
says...
3:46pm Wed 10 Oct 12
This is the trouble, when an accident occurs on the M4 the whole area suffers, not just the motorway.
Something has got to be done.
There are incidents on this stretch almost daily.
Limestonecowboy
says...
8:25pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Mervyn James wrote:this is part reason why nothing gets done the anti-car lobbyists who seldom use the M4 don't see how outdated & dangerous this road (can't class this a motorway anymore) is.
Too many cars. You cannot build your way out of that problem. More roads, more cars. more cars more roads.
The alternative? public transport yes providing you want to get fo A to B on a main line otherwise tuff!
The Governments not willing to invest where the motorist can be used as a tax point & be more profitable. Road building (like house building) will always be the end result regardless of how much consultation etc takes place eg the M25.
Will be interested in hearing alternatives to road building .
Cymru Am Beth
says...
8:27am Thu 11 Oct 12
Limestonecowboy wrote:Agree.
Mervyn James wrote: Too many cars. You cannot build your way out of that problem. More roads, more cars. more cars more roads.this is part reason why nothing gets done the anti-car lobbyists who seldom use the M4 don't see how outdated & dangerous this road (can't class this a motorway anymore) is. The alternative? public transport yes providing you want to get fo A to B on a main line otherwise tuff! The Governments not willing to invest where the motorist can be used as a tax point & be more profitable. Road building (like house building) will always be the end result regardless of how much consultation etc takes place eg the M25. Will be interested in hearing alternatives to road building .
Also, the tax we pay (up to £500) on some vehicles, should be more than enough to have the best road system in the world.
Instead it is littered with dangerous pot holes.
In Spain, road tax is around £25 per annum for ANY SIZE CAR.
Their roads are far better than ours.
Just goes to show that the money doesn't go on improving the roads in this Country.
HeyJudeB4Beatles says...
6:37pm Tue 9 Oct 12