Newport Council Leader Vows to Fight Proposed M4 Junction Closures

The leader of Newport City Council has vowed to oppose proposals to close several M4 junctions as the Welsh Government considers new measures to tackle long-running congestion around the Brynglas Tunnels.

Labour council leader Dimitri Batrouni said Newport residents should not be expected to bear the consequences of attempts to improve traffic flow on the motorway.

The Welsh Government is considering completely closing junction 27 at High Cross, while also closing the eastbound slip roads at junction 26 in Malpas and junction 25 for Caerleon.

The proposals form part of a wider package of measures being considered to address congestion on the M4.

Council prepares to fight proposals

Mr Batrouni said easing congestion on the M4 was important but argued that this should not result in increased traffic being pushed into Newport's neighbourhoods.

He said residents would be strongly opposed to the junction closures and confirmed the council was considering a campaign, including petitions and other measures to challenge the proposals.

He also said he supported the previously proposed M4 relief road, commonly referred to as the "black route".

That scheme was cancelled in 2019 by the Welsh Government under then First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Welsh Government says doing nothing is not an option

Deputy Transport Minister Mark Hooper said the current situation on the M4 could not simply continue.

He acknowledged concerns about the proposed junction closures but said the government needed to address both motorway congestion and wider transport problems affecting Newport.

Mr Hooper said Newport needed better public transport infrastructure and argued that there were "multiple problems to solve".

The Welsh Government has promised to consult Newport City Council before any junction closures are introduced.

The closures could potentially take place in around two years.

Concerns about traffic in local communities

The proposals have also prompted concern from other politicians representing Newport.

Labour MS Jayne Bryant said people in the city would be "astonished" if the closures went ahead.

She argued that closing the junctions could result in more traffic being directed towards areas where people live.

Ms Bryant said she supported accelerating improvements to public transport in south-east Wales, arguing that this should be a priority.

Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates has also raised the possibility of legal action, citing potential concerns about the impact on air quality in Newport.

What does the evidence say?

An independent report by Arup, published alongside the government's announcement, warned that public acceptance of the junction closure proposals was likely to be low among people who use the affected junctions.

The report said the measures could provide some local operational benefits but questioned whether they would deliver the wider economic and transport benefits associated with a more comprehensive intervention along the M4 corridor.

The Welsh Government is therefore considering the junction closures as part of a broader package rather than presenting them as a complete solution to the region's transport problems.

A separate study will examine the M4 itself

Alongside the proposed junction closures, the Welsh Government is commissioning an 18-month investigation into a potential roads-based solution.

That work could examine options including improvements to the Brynglas Tunnels or potentially constructing a new motorway.

However, the government has ruled out reviving the previously cancelled "black route" across the Gwent Levels.

Mr Hooper said the route's protected status ended when the project was cancelled and that bringing it back would involve decades of work.

Calls for the relief road to return

Reform UK and the Welsh Conservatives have both said they would support building an M4 relief road if they were in government.

Reform's Louise Emery argued that the issue had been discussed for decades and said her party would commit to building the relief road.

The Welsh Government's position is that the previously proposed route is no longer deliverable.

That leaves a significant political divide over the long-term solution to congestion in south-east Wales.

Rail projects also being developed

The Welsh Government is also looking at public transport alternatives.

Transport for Wales is working on proposals for new railway stations in south-east Wales using funding from the UK Government.

Cardiff Parkway, Magor and Undy have been identified as priorities.

The government argues that improving rail and public transport could form part of a wider strategy to reduce pressure on the M4.

Newport faces a major transport debate

The dispute highlights the difficulty facing policymakers in trying to tackle one of Wales' most persistent transport problems.

The M4 through Newport has experienced congestion for decades, particularly around the Brynglas Tunnels.

The Welsh Government says doing nothing is not an option.

Newport's council leadership argues that closing junctions could simply shift the problem onto local roads and communities.

Meanwhile, opposition parties continue to argue for a new motorway solution.

For residents, the key question is how the government can improve traffic flow without creating new problems elsewhere.

With consultation still to take place and further studies planned, the final shape of the proposals remains uncertain.

But one thing is already clear: the future of the M4 through Newport is set to remain a major political and transport issue in Wales.