Businesses in Newport say the new Southern Distributor Road is a winner.

Bosses say the road has speeded up logistics, shortened the commute for workers and banished traffic jams.

The £55m road that runs from the Coldra roundabout to the Pont Ebbw roundabout was partially coned off until it fully opened in mid- December.

Companies along the route had complained that the constant jams around Spytty were hindering business when the road was being built, but now they say it has been worth the wait.

Clayton Jones, principal manager at Shamrock Coaches, on Stevenson industrial estate, off Stevenson Street, which employs 58, said they were saving an average of 20 minutes on a return trip taken as an average on all their trips.

"It's excellent. We've picked up some contracts recently which we wouldn't have been able to do if it wasn't for the bridge," he said.

"The pain has been worth the gain. We are now a proper city with a proper road."

And Mike Lynham, manager at chemicals manufacturer Solutia, off Corporation Road, which employs 195, said: "We depend heavily on the road to the Coldra and traffic jams were an issue. Deliveries have been late and visitors have been held up.

"This is a significant improvement, and the new dual carriageway will significantly help the company."

Les Merchant, general manager of Mercedes dealers SG Newport, on Corporation Road, said: "We haven't found an increase in business yet because I don't think people are fully aware of the new road.

"A lot of our business comes from the west of the region and we are advertising that all roads lead to SG Newport.

"When the SDR was being built some customers said they found it quicker to go along the M4 to our Cardiff branch. We want to get them back.

"There are no more jams outside the showroom. It used to be chock-a-block at rush hour."

The 12.5km SDR was originally expected to open in June, but the deadline was repeatedly pushed back because of problems with sinkage and drainage.