MAJOR traffic problems over three days following Ed Sheeran stadium gigs in Cardiff have led to questions over South Wales’ ability to host major events and left people asking whether it will happen again.

Ed Sheeran and My Chemical Romance fans flocked to the capital over the weekend for a series of large scale shows.

Motorway queues stretch for miles

The M4 motorway saw congestion backing up over the Prince of Wales Bridge.

It was also gridlock on many of the roads through Newport as motorists looked for alternative routes.

Traffic was so bad that one commenter suggested a special 'Ed Sheeran lane' on the M4 as a solution.

Railway issues

The problems weren’t just on the roads. There were also reports of a lack of trains - some of which were subsequently cancelled.

A Transport for Wales spokesperson said: “Tens of thousands of passengers travelled on our services for the Ed Sheeran concerts, as well as other major events taking place on the network this weekend, with no major incidents or safety events reported.

"We would like to thank our passengers for cooperating well with our queuing system and with our teams who managed to keep passengers moving as quickly and as safely through the station as possible.

“We are facing some capacity constraints currently and some of our trains remain out of use due to an incident at Craven Arms at the start of last week.

"We advise customers check before they travel and use our Capacity Checker – an online tool that allows customers to see which trains are likely to have the most space available.”

Some people were left with no alternative than to leave early or face being stranded in Cardiff as trains were cancelled.

Parking problems

The problems didn’t end with getting to the city.

Parking is often difficult for big events and getting out of the car parks presents its own challenges.

Some people were stuck inside the St Davids Shopping Centre car park for hours having not even attended the concert.

As the Principality Stadium does not have its own dedicated car park, parking at shopping centres and similar locations across the city was at a premium - leading to long queues to exit.

What could be done differently in future?

The problems during the Ed Sheeran gigs were compounded by other events going on and the start of the half term holiday - with many families heading down the M4 on holiday on Friday and Saturday.

However, there are concerns the scenes could be repeated.

Wales' men's football team are due to play either Scotland or Ukraine in their World Cup play-off match this weekend (Sunday, June 5), with a game against the former sure to draw fans of both nations to the city in their thousands.

The Stereophonics are also playing the Principality of June 17 and 18.

There is also a WWE event at the stadium on September 3 - the first event of its kind in the UK for 30 years, which is likely to draw crowds from across the country.

The wrestling event has also secured funding from the Welsh government to be staged in the capital.

Cardiff Council acknowledged that the recent concerts had created problems on the transport network in the region.

However, it said the issue of mass events leading to transport issues can be experienced "in any city".

It noted that other events of a similar scale had not presented anything like the same issues.

Cardiff cabinet member for transport and strategic planning, Cllr Dan De’Ath, said: “The concerts, combined with half-term, clearly created problems on the regional network, plus issues on the rail network meant that replacement coaches had to be used on some services.

“We will continue to work with Welsh Government and UK Government, so that we see increased and better transport links for the region, including rail and Metro.

“Having said that, we mustn’t forget that Cardiff regularly plays host to countless events, without issue.

“When major events take place in any city, journey times will inevitably be longer because of the large number of people travelling, so the advice is always to allow much more time than normal, and to regularly check the travel advice being given.”

Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies said the issues showed that major infrastructure spending was needed in South Wales.

He Tweeted:

Looking ahead to future events, the best bet for potential Wales fans or those with Stereophonics tickets is probably to ensure you get the Cardiff with plenty of time to spare.

The M4 motorway past Newport to Cardiff is difficult to negotiate heading west on a normal weekday, so alternatives - if possible - might be a better option.

Although pricier, staying in the city overnight saves having to contend with the exiting crowds.