Kit PetersPlaid rules out Newport M4 relief road as minister promises ‘balanced package’ of road, rail and bus
The Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government has ruled out building a relief road around Newport to ease congestion on the M4 — months after its leader campaigned on backing a new road for the route.
The M4 around Newport is used daily by drivers from across south Wales, including those travelling east from Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire.
Opened in 1967, the Brynglas Tunnels at Newport were originally designed to handle 30,000 vehicles a day. They now regularly carry over 75,000, making this stretch one of the most famous congestion hotspots in the UK.
In a statement to the Senedd, Deputy Minister for Transport Mark Hooper described the corridor as “one of the most constrained and heavily used transport corridors in Wales”.
He said it continued to “operate beyond capacity, particularly at peak times”, with long-standing problems of congestion, resilience and reliability.
The minister was blunt about the most contentious option.
“To be clear, this government does not believe the Black Route is a credible option,” he said — referring to the proposed six-lane motorway bypass south of Newport, scrapped by the previous Labour government in 2019 at an estimated £1.6bn.
Instead, he announced “a short, focused programme of work to explore realistic options across road, rail and bus interventions”, drawing on existing analysis rather than commissioning a new review.
“The answer is not another external review that kicks the can down the road one more time,” he said.
The work would include accelerating public transport alternatives, targeted measures to improve traffic flow on the existing road network, and better integration between local and national transport systems.
The announcement puts Plaid Cymru’s own position in the spotlight.
During the election campaign, party leader and now First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth told a leaders’ debate that he supported building a new road to tackle congestion at the Brynglas Tunnels.
“We believe that a response is needed to improve traffic on the M4 around the Brynglas Tunnels,” he said at the time. “Currently we don’t have a plan. What a Plaid Cymru government would do is put that plan together.”
He pointed to a cheaper alternative rather than the Black Route itself, and argued that investment in rail alone would not resolve the congestion. The M4 did not feature in Plaid’s election manifesto.
Proposals to relieve congestion around Newport date back decades, with a relief road south of the city first floated in the 1990s. Plans firmed up under Welsh Government backing for the so-called “Black Route” — a 14-mile, six-lane motorway south of Newport, including a new bridge over the River Usk.
After an 83-day public inquiry, the entire scheme was scrapped in 2019 by then-First Minister Mark Drakeford, who said it was too costly, at an estimated £1.6bn, and too damaging to the environment.
A subsequent expert commission instead recommended a “network of alternatives”, focused on new rail stations and public transport rather than new motorway.
The debate has rumbled on since. Last year, renewed calls for a Newport bypass were rejected by the Senedd, after a Conservative motion failed to win support from Labour, Plaid Cymru or the Liberal Democrats.
Closer to home, the Welsh Government said last year it would look again at M4 junction improvements around Swansea after pressure in the Senedd.
The minister said he would report back to members on the M4 work “in Plenary early in the autumn term”.
The statement also covered transport problems in north Wales, including repeated closures of the 200-year-old Menai Suspension Bridge between Ynys Môn and the mainland.
The minister said the bridge had shut several times in recent weeks after drivers ignored a 7.5 tonne weight limit, forcing precautionary safety inspections.
He said works to stabilise and refurbish the bridge were due to be completed in spring 2027, and that the government would now “start looking at detailed options for a third Menai crossing”.
He acknowledged the disruption had caused “deep frustration, and increasing anger” among those affected.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Renewed calls for Newport M4 bypass rejected by Senedd
A Conservative motion for a bypass failed to win cross-party support.
Welsh Government to look again at Swansea M4 junction improvements
Ministers agreed to revisit congestion relief at the Swansea end of the M4.
Commission proposes rail stations as alternative to M4 bypass
The expert panel recommended a network of public transport alternatives.
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