M4 Relief Road

If it ever happens. Plaid have walked out of the budget talks because of Edwina's disregard of the Assembly.

There will definitely be junctions!

Only at the start and finish it seems. I think the point is to completely bypass Newport to remove the failings of the existing M4 where it is used for long distance travel and also for short distance travel around Newport. Creating a ringroad with junctions on the Black route will just make this issue worse

I see that valleys thicko leader of the Anglophobic party has thrown her toys out of her pram in regards to this brave, correct decision. It's sad that so many senior politicos are so insular and can't see that merely building the blue route will lead to the exact same problem in a decades time. For all of Hart's faults, she's 100% right here

I see that valleys thicko leader of the Anglophobic party has thrown her toys out of her pram in regards to this brave, correct decision. It's sad that so many senior politicos are so insular and can't see that merely building the blue route will lead to the exact same problem in a decades time. For all of Hart's faults, she's 100% right here

Hardly what I call brave. The fact of the matter is if the black route goes ahead then we will not be able to afford any other infrastructure investment in Wales. That means no metro and no other improvements. All of those would have to come out of the Welsh Goverment's budget. They cannot use a toll on this so it will never pay for itself.

The majority of traffic along that stretch of motorway is journeys of under 20 miles. Those could easily be done on train.

Edwina Hart hasn't even read the report, it is soon to be published, that is why Leanne has pulled out of budget talks. Kirsty Williams has also said that the Lib Dems will not agree to any budget which includes the black route.

Well the general consensus is that this is long overdue so good luck to any party who openly opposes this as I think the majority of south wales want it built

I have long slagged Edwina Hart and the Welsh Government/Welsh Labour but with this, the train station announcment and electrification the penny may finally be dropping. The southern link road next please which combined with the new M4 should reduce my commute to Bristol by about 20-25 minutes.

Well the general consensus is that this is long overdue so good luck to any party who openly opposes this as I think the majority of south wales want it built

The general consensus is that something needs to be done to ease congestion. It is not to build a £1bn extension to a motorway. We simply cannot afford to spend that much money on a road. It also goes over the Gwent levels which is an SSSI.

The fact of the matter is she hasn't read the report. She's committed more than what we are able to borrow on a tiny strech of motorway. How the hell are we going to pay this off?

These questions may be answered in the report but the road won't be completed for quite a few years. But it still remains that Hart has jumped the gun.

Whether we like it or not, even with a Metro system, more journeys by car are going to be made as people continue in increasing numbers commute, visit and gravitate towards Cardiff. You've got to be a stoned friend of Swampy or have no business acumen if you don't think South Wales, where 3/4 of the population live, needs a proper M4 relief road, not a half-baked glorified dual carriageway

The M4 is a glorified dual carriageway. We need more alternatives. I understand that people will need to be convinced to travel to work by using the metro but I just can't see how spending £1bn on something like this is a good use of money.

South Wales needs a proper motorway full stop. Hart has said that she expects legal challenges from this decision.

The Welsh Government report "M4 Corridor around Newport, WelTAG Appraisal Report Stage 1,Issued 24 June 2013 and authored by ARUP shows that shows that traffic levels on the motorway have remained near constant on certain sections over the 7–year period between 2005 and 2012. On some sections they have marginally increased on others they have marginally declined.

The case for a new motorway hinges on the traffic forcasts for 2020 and 2035. If they are right then it is a brilliant investment, if they are wrong and traffic remains static then it is a disaster as the capital could have been better invested. Department of Transport modelling has a chequered history.

The motorway in 2012 was operating at times at it theoretical limit but no mention is made of the variable speed limit system and how that affects capacity.

If changes in lifestyle, especially for the younger generations who are less likely to drive and own a car, continue and deepen then this is maybe a monumental mistake. Personally think there are many things that could be done with the old road and other transport options.

There is still a long way to go with this but Edwina made a firm decision, she must rapidly becoming Jantras favourite politician