‘Crack on’ with building M4 relief road, says Welsh Tory leader

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His comments come as the second day of the Conservative party conference gets under way in Birmingham on Monday.

On Tuesday, the Welsh government's deputy transport minister is set to give a statement to the Senedd about plans for the M4 and Menai Strait.

In June, Mark Hooper told the Welsh Parliament a third crossing over the strait was still being considered, but ruled out resurrecting a previous proposal for an M4 relief road.

In a statement, Millar said that "the time for talking was over".

He said: "The solutions to congestion around Newport and on the Menai crossings are very clear.

"We need an M4 relief road and a third Menai crossing.

"Plaid Cymru ministers need to get on with these two critical pieces of infrastructure to help deliver a stronger economy.

"Further delays will cost our economy and increase construction costs.

"The time for talking is over. The Welsh government needs to crack on and deliver these vital projects."

The M4 around Newport, and the two current crossings over the Menai Strait, between Gwynedd and Anglesey, are among Wales's most persistent traffic bottlenecks.

In June this year, Hooper told the Senedd "detailed options" for a third Menai crossing would be considered in the longer term.

In the same statement, Hooper ruled out out the resurrection of a previous plan for an M4 relief road cancelled by former First Minister Mark Drakeford in 2019.

Hooper said the Welsh government would instead focus on speeding up the delivery of public transport alternatives, and look at measures to improve traffic flow.

Plaid Cymru's Senedd election manifesto had pledged to "address congestion on the M4 around Newport" and the first minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has spoken of a "roads-based solution".

Under their current manifesto, the Welsh Conservatives have committed to both building the M4 relief road and delivering a third Menai crossing.

A review in 2023 recommended plans for a third bridge be scrapped, but a year later the-then Labour transport minister Ken Skates said another crossing remained under consideration.

Plaid Cymru's commitment to a third crossing, in the longer term, follows a series of issues with one of the two existing crossings last year.

In May 2026, the Menai suspension bridge suffered a number of closures in the space of 24 hours, causing significant local disruption.

Improvements to the other crossing – the Britannia Bridge – have also been mooted, and could include "wind deflectors" to reduce weather-related closures.