A48 Newport to Cardiff cycling and bus lane plan mystery

The Welsh Government put forward three options for redeveloping the existing dual carriageway in ways it believes could improve public transport options and also help the environment.

Three options were put on the table for adapting a four-mile stretch of dual carraigeway between Tredegar Park and St Mellons last February, and a public consultation was launched.

Each option would see a new two-way cycling lane constructed and changes to junction, prioritising buses, walkers and cyclists. There would also be fewer changes to speed limits in Castleton.

But nearly one year on from that consultation closing, the findings are yet to be made public.

Artist's impressions of the proposals to transform a section of the A48 between Newport and Cardiff.

The Argus was told previously a report on people's views would be published by the end of February, along with the annual update from the Burns commission's delivery unit.

That commission was set up in the wake of the Welsh Government's decision to scrap the proposed M4 relief road, to find other ways transport could be improved and congestion alleviated on the motorway around Newport.

'More than 1,700 responses'

The Burns commission's report was published on time in February, but the latest update on the government's website is from March last year, when the public consultation closed.

The commission did reference the consultation in its report, however, suggesting people's views have been gathered, even if they haven't been made public.

"A public consultation in February-March 2022 received more than 1,700 responses and showed support for one A48 option and strong support for all three NCN88 options," the report read.

NCN88 is a cycling route which runs near the A48 and is also part of the proposals to redevelop links between Newport and Cardiff.

Map showing the section of the A48 (red line) affected by the new proposals.

'Attractive alternatives to the car'

The report also said the delivery unit's aim was to "provide attractive alternatives to the car for people travelling between Cardiff and Newport through exemplar bus, cycling and walking infrastructure, also connecting to the proposed rail stations at Cardiff Parkway and Newport West".

Many of our readers were unimpressed by the plans for bus and cycle lanes on the A48, however.

At the time the proposals were unveiled, some Argus readers criticised the options, calling them "ridiculous" and saying they would "create more traffic on a major relief road" to the M4.