Professor Stuart Cole says he cannot see the point of a new dual carriageway south of Newport when the SDR could be upgraded to an expressway. I take the diametrically opposite view. I must declare an interest as I live off the SDR, but so do the residents of Llanwern, Ringland, Alway, Lliswerry and Pill.

The SDR serves three secondary schools, a Welsh school and a Special Needs School, both of which have children transported there from all over the city, not to mention all the primary schools.

The SDR also serves Newport Retail Park including the enormous new Tesco, the Leeway Trading Estate, Llanwern Steelworks and the new housing development, the RSPCA, the Road Safety Centre, Newport International Sports Village, including the new FAW Football Centre, and numerous car sales outlets.

To increase the volume and speed of vehicles on the SDR makes no sense when there is an alternative solution to solving the M4 congestion problem.

Despite the financial and environmental costs, Option A, a new dual carriageway south of Newport, is the most effective solution which will involve the least disruption to the long suffering residents of the city.

David Hando, Pwll Pen, Hartridge, Newport