WITH traffic into Wales increasing following the end of the tolls on the two Severn bridges, the A40 between Raglan and Abergavenny must be resurfaced, an AM has said.

Charges on the bridges were scrapped on December 17. And last week it was revealed the number of vehicles using the two bridges in the final week of December was up by between 18 and 34 per cent.

Speaking in the Assembly this week Monmouth AM Nick Ramsay said the surface of the A40 between Raglan and Abergavenny was "worn out". He added he was concerned, if the M4 relief road does not get the go-ahead, the problem could get worse still.

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"I know that would be costly to renew, but if we are going to go down the route of increasing traffic on that stretch of road, I think the current road surface does become untenable," he said.

"So, if the M4 doesn't proceed, as looks like becoming increasingly likely, then perhaps we could have statements from the Welsh Government on where resource could be used to improve aspects of people's lives across my constituency and further afield."

Trefnydd - or business manager - Rebecca Evans replied first minister Mark Drakeford was still yet to see the report of the public inquiry into the relief road, so it was too soon to predict the future of the scheme.

She added the Welsh Government "is making a great deal of investment in our road surfaces".