New M4

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 This article contains information about a planned or expected future road.
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The New M4 (sometimes knows as M4 Toll) is a planned motorway to be built around the south of the city of Newport, South Wales, and could be the United Kingdom's second full toll-paying motorway.[1]

The existing M4 motorway Newport bypass runs through the Brynglas Tunnels, north of the city centre.[2] However, the nature of the tunnels makes widening them prohibitively expensive. As a result, a second motorway will be built to the south of the city, running for 14 miles (23 km) parallel to the current road from junction 23a at Magor to junction 29 at Castleton. The concept behind the motorway is based on the M6 Toll, a similar relief road built to reduce traffic on the M6 motorway around Birmingham.[2]

[edit] History

Although another bypass around Newport had been suggested by various groups for several years, the New M4 was first announced on 3 March 2006 as part of a raft of measures to improve road transport in Wales. The road will cost GB£350m, being financed by a Private finance initiative (PFI) with the Welsh Assembly.[1]

Construction is expected to begin by 2009, with the potential tolling possibly using satellite tracking or radar-tag systems.[3]

[edit] Controversy

The road has received criticism from many corners, with concerns ranging from environmental issues, through cost, to long-term effects on traffic patterns.

Friends of the Earth have claimed that the road will cause great damage to local wild habitats as it is planned to pass through the Caldicot and Wentloog Levels, an area of natural wetlands. They have also raised concerns about the large sum of public money being used to fund the project, claiming that it could be better spent improving the local railway network.[2]

Several other experts have suggested a new toll road would be "a white elephant for 20 hours a day", due to the greatly variable traffic levels through the Brynglas Tunnels, claiming that outside peak hours, the tunnels would still be the preferable option to taking a toll road for most people.[2]

Liberal Democrat spokesperson Jenny Randerson also raised concerns about whether a toll was necessary on the road, as the Severn Bridge, less than 10 miles (16 km) to the east, also charges a toll to cross it. Randerson compared the plan to a "double tax on Wales", claiming that the toll would discourage people from visiting Wales, saying "paying twice to get in will encourage no-one to come across the Severn Bridge, either for business or for pleasure", while the Road Haulage Association claimed a toll was "almost rubbing salt into the wound".[2] Lately there have also been further developments on introducing a Congestion charge in central Cardiff. This has meant that many drivers could end up paying three times in the space of less than 30 miles from the Severn Crossings into Cardiff.

Concerns have also been raised about the risk of accidents on the road; cars on the M6 Toll, due to its new and clear carriageways, have an average speed of 79 mph (127 km/h), rising to 88 mph (142 km/h) at night, well above the British national speed limit of 70 mph (113 km/h). As a result, the M4 Toll has been compared to a theme park with drivers paying "their money and therefore [expecting] to be able to enjoy the thrill of the ride. It's almost as if they're paying to use a racetrack" said Conrad King, a motoring psychologist.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b CBRD M4 Toll Feature, URL accessed 3 August 2006
  2. ^ a b c d e M4 Relief road plan unveiled, BBC News, 7 December 2004
  3. ^ a b 'Racetrack' fear for new M4 toll section as speeds soar, Western Mail, January 4, 2005