Wales Announces Third Menai Crossing and M4 Congestion Study

The Government of Wales announced a comprehensive transport strategy to address chronic congestion on the M4 motorway and across the Menai Strait. Deputy Transport Minister Mark Hooper detailed a five-year program that includes the potential closure of M4 Junction 27 and partial closures of Junctions 26 and 25 by 2028 to improve traffic flow. To determine long-term road-based solutions, the government will conduct an 18-month study evaluating options such as widening the Brynglas Tunnels or constructing a new motorway south of Newport, though a previously proposed relief road remains ruled out.

In north Wales, the government will immediately restart development for a third Menai crossing, a project estimated to cost £670 million and take up to 10 years to complete. This initiative includes design work and environmental assessments to improve resilience for Ynys Môn. To mitigate immediate disruptions on the Britannia Bridge, the government will install wind deflectors and variable speed limits, while rejecting a proposed three-lane tidal-flow operation due to safety concerns.

Additional measures include accelerating the delivery of new train stations at Cardiff Parkway, Magor, and Undy. The proposals faced criticism from Newport City Council and opposition parties. Council leader Dimitri Batrouni argued that junction closures would shift the traffic burden to local residential roads, a concern echoed by consultants at Arup, who warned that such measures might increase congestion and noise on alternative routes.