NEWPORT council will slash the speed limit on nearly all of the city's 30mph roads in September.

The switch to 20mph has been in the pipeline for more than a year, after Senedd members voted to bring in lowers speed limits for road safety reasons.

The Welsh Government believes a new default speed limit of 20mph will reduce accidents and save lives, but the decision is not without its critics.

From September 17, all so-called "restricted roads" in Wales will have 20mph limits. These are typically roads in residential or built-up areas where streetlights are located every 200m or less.

Crucially, Welsh councils have the power to retain 30mph speed limits on any road where it can be argued it would be safe to do so.

A map on Newport City Council's website, however, shows the local authority is not planning to retain many 30mph areas.

South Wales Argus: Map of Newport showing which 30mph roads (yellow) will become 20mph and which ones (pink) will stay the same.Map of Newport showing which 30mph roads (yellow) will become 20mph and which ones (pink) will stay the same. (Image: Newport City Council)

"Exception" roads, which will remain at 30mph, include Usk Way in the city centre, the George Street Bridge, and a stretch of the SDR between the Blaina Wharf pub and near the Morrisons supermarket junction with Corporation Road.

Some approaches to Old Green Roundabout will stay at 30mph, as will a section of Malpas Road in the area around Harlequin Roundabout.

In Maesglas, several streets in the neighbourhood's industrial estates will stay at 30mph, and further west Pont Ebbw roundabout - at the entrance to Tredegar Park - and a part of Duffryn Drive will also stay at the higher speed limit.

A non-residential stretch of Caerleon Road, as well as industrial estate roads in Duffryn and near Lliswerry, will also stay at 30mph.

But major thoroughfares such as Cardiff Road, Chepstow Road, and the majority of Caerleon Road will all be cut to 20mph. 

Street signs have already appeared around the city, with grey "not in use" covers temporarily concealing the new speed limits until the big switchover at the end of the summer.

"Any speed signs currently in place indicating a 20mph limit will be removed," the council said. "There will be no signs in place to remind you of the speed limit where it is the default. This is the same as it currently is in 30mph limits."

Newport City Council also said "we will not bring in an​y new 20mph speed limits in Newport until the legislation comes into force".

View the map on the Newport City Council website here.