No M4 relief road 'before 2020'

A "RELIEF ROAD" for the M4 in south Wales is unlikely to be constructed before 2020, a leading transport expert has told Welsh Assembly Members.

A new stretch of motorway south of Newport could be back on the cards after the UK ministers announced the possibility of Welsh Government borrowing the money needed for the scheme.

However the re-emergence of proposals to ease traffic on Wales' heavily congested western gateway prompted fierce debate during a committee hearing in the Senedd.

As well as Conservationists telling AMs their concerns over damage to the local environment, the University of South Wales' transport expert Stuart Cole said the new route could prove very costly financially.

The Emeritus Professor of Transport predicted at least three years of legal arguments before construction of the £1 billion road could finally get underway.

He told the Assembly's environment committee: "We're not likely to see this new M4 by 2020.

"Construction costs are rising by about 10% a year.

"And we could see all of these figures being substantially more if there is a delay in building any of the schemes.

"So, the total cost of building the motorway will undoubtedly increase as we go along."

The south Wales section of the M4 has been a thorny issue for years.

Although sections of the carriageway west of Cardiff have been upgraded to three lanes over the past decade, further expansion around regular bottlenecks in Newport appear unlikely - especially around the Brynglas Tunnels.

One proposed way of getting around this problem has been the building of a 14-mile relief road - running parallel to the existing motorway from junction 23A at Magor, to junction 29 at Castleton.

In 2009, the idea was dropped by the then Labour-Plaid coalition government in the Assembly after costs rose to £1 billion. However it appeared back in the agenda two years later when Labour returned to govern alone - and its chances have been boosted further by the UK Government's announcement to devolve further powers to Wales.

Among them are the Welsh Government's ability to borrow money for large projects - a tool that ministers say they have long been lacking.

A public consultation on the motorway is already underway and AMs have also begun hearing evidence from several key groups and organisations.

The Welsh government has previously said cutting motorway congestion in the area was essential for the country's economy.

The public consultation on the proposals is due to finish before Christmas.

By Benjamin Wright, Press Association