MS slams Welsh Government over M4 relief road delay
Peter Fox condemns an 18‑month assessment period, warning that diverting traffic onto local roads will worsen congestion across Wales.
Member of the Senedd for Sir Fynwy Torfaen, Peter Fox, has publicly rebuked the Welsh Government’s latest approach to easing M4 congestion around Newport.
Deputy Minister for Transport Mark Hooper told the Senedd that the administration will now spend 18 months reviewing a report that outlines a range of possible interventions.
The options on the table include widening the Brynglas Tunnels, undertaking works on the A48, and even closing certain junctions to improve traffic flow.
One of the quicker, lower‑cost proposals is to encourage heavy‑goods vehicle traffic onto the A465, a route that already serves as a key east‑west corridor.
Fox questioned whether the road network around Abergavenny could absorb a marked increase in HGV movements without severe disruption.
He warned that “the solution is not to send the M4’s congestion on a tour of Wales”, arguing that diverting traffic would simply shift the problem to smaller towns and rural roads.
Fox highlighted that it has been seven years since the Labour‑led administration cancelled the long‑promised M4 relief road, yet motorists continue to be trapped in daily gridlock.
“Some of the suggestions being put forward are quite frankly daft, and anything that moves traffic off the M4 and into our towns, cities and smaller roads will make it worse,” he said.
The Senedd member added that an additional 18‑month assessment period is unnecessary, insisting that “we all know the answer, a relief road”.
He called the proposed measures “temporary fixes” that fail to address the underlying capacity shortfall on the motorway.
Fox and his Conservative colleagues have reiterated the urgent need for a permanent M4 relief solution, urging the Welsh Government to act without further delay.
Transport officials have defended the extended review, stating that a thorough appraisal is required to weigh environmental impacts, cost implications and community concerns.
Critics, however, argue that the prolonged timeline risks entrenching congestion, increasing emissions and harming the regional economy.
Fox concluded by pledging that he and his party will continue to champion the construction of the relief road, insisting it is the only viable answer to the chronic traffic woes.