Incidents on the M4 have closed the road through Newport more than 300 times so far in 2022, new figures have shown. The M4 stretching from Junction 23A Magor services and junction 28 Tredegar Park has been closed a total of 393 times between January and October this year, according to figures revealed following a Freedom of Information request.
The numbers show 310 incidents have partially or fully closed the M4 in Newport in just ten months including 128 incidents involving broken-down vehicles, 58 road traffic collisions and 124 other incidents such as debris on the road. Just 83 of the 393 closures have been scheduled due to roadworks being carried out.
338 of the closures were partial while 55 involved the road being fully closed in one direction. There were no instances which required the road to be fully closed in both directions.
Read more: Gabby Logan asks 'When is the M4 near Newport going to work' as she gets stuck in 27 mile tailback
Matthew Evans, leader of the Newport Conservatives, said the figures were "obscene".
"I think last week pretty much every day there were long delays or incidents," he said. "Whatever the Welsh Government say, there are coaches and buses that use the road as well. We had the rail strikes recently which didn't help but for a lot of people, it's simply a necessity to use their cars."
Mr Evans said his inbox was regularly full of people complaining about congestion levels on the road and referenced presenter Gabby's Logan's exasperated tweet last week after she was stuck in heavy traffic on the way to Cardiff.
"It really is bad for business," he said. "People are coming into Wales and are stuck in traffic jams for long amounts of time. It's hurting businesses, people going about their daily lives, the tourist industry, major businesses like Celtic Manor."
Issues have been raised over ongoing congestion issues on the M4 in and around Newport with motorists regularly experiencing total gridlock, notably around the Brynglas Tunnels. In June 2019 plans for an M4 relief road which would have seen a new road built near the Gwent Levels were scrapped by First Minister Mark Drakeford. The project was first proposed in 1991 and went through years of delays, inquiries and political infighting before being cancelled, and a total of £135.7m in public money was spent on trying to make it happen. The issue has continued to rumble on, however, and the Conservatives in Westminster have pledged to revive the project on several occasions despite highway infrastructure being devolved to Wales.
The Welsh Government has adopted recommendations made by the South East Wales Transport Commission to resolve issues with congestion, which was set up in the wake of the relief road plans being shelved. The Government plans to build an integrated network of bus, rail and active travel (walking and cycling) that will improve connectivity and make sustainable travel easier across South Wales. According to the Transport for Wales website, the South Wales Metro is estimated for completion in 2023.
Then-prime minister Liz Truss was criticised in September for committing to build the road and her predecessor Boris Johnson did the same leading to Mr Drakeford accusing the UK Government of "pretending" to have the power to do it. Plans for a £120m new train station on the outskirts of Cardiff are also on hold after the Welsh Government called in the project. The decision last month means that final planning approval must now wait for the recommendation of an inspector appointed to assess the project before Welsh ministers will make the final decision.
Mr Evans said the delays to the train station were frustrating and that public transport in Wales needed to be addressed more quickly.
"They need to get a grip and sort the problem out," he said. "In my area there are few buses after 6pm. Quite frankly it's a mess and we don't seem to be getting any closer to ways to improve the situation.
"I'm more angry than frustrated. If you want to encourage more people [to use transport] then you need to have the incentives there. At the moment nothing is happening. The traffic on the road is such as that I'm not convinced an improved rail service will have any great effect.
"I'd like to see a referendum on the M4 relief road and let the people of Wales have their say."
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We need to move away from spending money on projects that encourage more people to drive, and redirect this money on investing in real alternatives as well as maintaining our existing roads.
“Building on the recommendations of the South East Wales Transport Commission, Transport for Wales is working with local authorities on measures that can make a difference for people quickly. These include building high-quality bus and cycling routes between Cardiff and Newport, upgrading bus, cycling and walking corridors in Newport city centre and upgrading access to Severn Tunnel Junction railway station.
"There’s still a long way to go, but within the next 12 months we’ll start to see some significant improvements in bus travel, cycling and walking, with a greater shift towards sustainable transport, especially for those people travelling between Newport and Cardiff."
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