People living near M4 say junction closure plan will ‘make traffic worse’

Image caption, Jon Rhind said he can't see a proposal like this working

People living close to the M4 have said plans to closure junctions on the motorway would "make traffic worse" in Newport.

The Welsh government announced a proposal on Tuesday to completely close junction 27 at High Cross and close the eastbound slip roads at junction 26 in Malpas and junction 25 in Caerleon to tackle bottleneck congestion at the Brynglas Tunnels.

But those living in the city stressed it would have a "massive impact" on their commute and they would have to go out of their way to get home.

Dimitri Batrouni, the city council leader, has vowed to fight the proposals, saying residents should not have to pay the price for attempts to ease congestion.

Jon Rhind, from St Julians, said he could not see the plans working as traffic already adds 20 minutes to his journey.

"I can only see it making things worse for traffic in town," he said.

"Surely what we have to do is stop so much traffic going along there and a southern bypass might be more appropriate.

"Shutting the junctions off is just going to send more traffic into town."

Image caption, Jan Williams is concerned about future congestion if the proposal goes ahead

Jan Williams agreed there would be "more congestion for anybody living in this area."

"It was bad enough when they cut the one off [westbound] when you could have entered the motorway, that causes a lot of congestion," she said.

"You've always got to go through the town centre for anywhere you want to go."

Joyce Hobbs fears the proposal would affect her "a lot" if it went ahead.

"I wouldn't like that change, it's horrendous the traffic when everybody has finished work and when you get to the big roundabout it's absolutely chaotic, because that's when I leave, so it's going to be bad.

"It will annoy me because it's my way home and means I have to go out of my way to get home. I wouldn't be happy."

Image caption, The Welsh government could close junction 27 at High Cross, and eastbound slip roads at junctions 25 and 26

Deputy transport minister Mark Hooper said maintaing the current situation on was not an option.

The announcement follows abandoned proposals for an M4 relief road – ditched in 2019 by then-First Minister Mark Drakeford, and by the Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition in 2009.

The junctions could close in two years, while a separate 18-month piece of work will also look into a "roads-based solution" that could include expanding the Brynglas Tunnels, or even creating a new motorway.

Transport for Wales will also work on developing proposed new railway stations in south-east Wales using funding from the UK government, with Cardiff Parkway, as well as Magor and Undy in Monmouthshire given priority.

Image caption, Residents and councillors believe a relief road south of Newport could be the best option to ease congestion on the M4

Newport councillor Pat Drewett, who represents Allt yr Yn – an area close to junction 27 – said: "The other thing that the M4 junctions do is to bring business into Newport.

"There are lots of businesses who want easy access to the rest of Wales, to England, and they get that through the motorway junctions. So we've got to keep those open at all costs."

He added that a relief road south of Newport could be the best option to ease congestion.

Image caption, Dimitri Batrouni says people will be "completely against junction closures"

Batrouni said attempts to ease congestion on the M4 were good, but could not be done "at the expense of Newport residents suffering".

He said even a report published by the Welsh government noted that "local residents would see increased traffic".

"I'm not willing [to see] Newport residents pay a price that's not their fault.

"We're considering our options to build up a campaign, to build up some petitions and look what we can do as a council to fight these proposals."

Batrouni supports the black route – a proposed new motorway across the Gwent Levels that was axed in 2019 and has been ruled out by the Welsh government.

In a debate on Tuesday, Hooper said the black route was not achievable.

"The protected route status went when it was cancelled," he said.

"So, we're talking about decades of work to even get that off the ground."

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