47-718: The A479 , officially also known as the Glanusk Park (Crickhowell)—Llyswen Trunk Road , is a trunk road in Wales . It connects Crickhowell to Llyswen via the Rhiangoll valley and Talgarth , running through the Brecon Beacons National Park . The road starts at Glanusk Park near Crickhowell and runs roughly in a northerly direction to Llyswen , where it joins the A470 road . It runs entirely within
94-477: A "(T)" after their number, to distinguish them from non-trunk parts of the same road. However, this suffix is no longer included on current Ordnance Survey maps. The North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent still use it to distinguish the trunk road from a non-trunk road. When a trunk road had been improved by a motorway, bypass or a similar route, it may be de-trunked. When a road is de-trunked, signposts are often replaced, and sometimes route numbers are changed, making
141-601: A U-turn at either of them. Junction 8/9 near Maidenhead , Berkshire , and High Wycombe , Buckinghamshire is the only one in the UK with dual numbers. This arose at the time when the M4 turned north near junction 8, where it met the A308, and headed for the original junction 9, where the motorway ended at a roundabout interchange with the A4 . When the westward extension was opened, junction 8
188-460: A new business park on a 125 acres (51 ha) site north of the M4 were submitted in 2007 to Cardiff Council . The developers of the business park, St Modwen Developments , would likely fund the new junction, which would be on the A469 . A freedom of information request in 2010 to Cardiff Council shows that whilst the land that would enable this junction should continue to be strategically protected,
235-508: A pilot scheme and then a permanent arrangement from 2001. A lower speed limit was introduced along this section at the same time. The 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (5.6 km) bus lane was on the eastbound carriageway; from the western end of the Chiswick Flyover near Brentford to junction 3 (A312), covering part of the 15-mile (24 km) journey between Heathrow Airport and central London. The lane which had no intermediate exits
282-586: A reduction in road spray from other vehicles and improved visibility. This special surface was publicised in an episode of the BBC's Tomorrow's World programme. This was the site of the first trial of the new road surface when it was laid down in 1993. The elevated section of the M4 in West London, built in the 1960s, is mostly directly above the A4 and extends over parts of Brentford 's Golden Mile . This section
329-543: A restricted two lane section through the Brynglas Tunnels. Heavy congestion occurs along this stretch and either side of it at peak hours." Data from driver location signs and location marker posts are used to provide distance and carriageway identification information. Where a junction spans several hundred metres and the data is available, both the start and finish values for the junction are shown. Although not signed, European route E30 includes most of
376-707: A tolled bypass in 2007 and later abandoned it for financial reasons. An extension to the Newport Southern Distributor Road through the old Corus steel works was considered. This road is already a dual carriageway. A public consultation exercise on options for improving the capacity of the M4 corridor around Newport opened on 5 March 2012. Its website states that: "the motorway around Newport does not conform to today's motorway standards. It lacks continuous hard shoulders, has closely spaced junctions with sub-standard slip road visibility and narrows to
423-566: Is a back entrance to RAF Welford , a Second World War airfield and now an RAF/ USAF military installation mainly used for storing munitions. The M4 entrance allows easier access for the large vehicles used to carry the munitions. Plans for the "missing" Junction 31, also known as the Thornhill interchange , for which planning permission was originally granted in September 1991 (but subsequently expired), were rekindled after proposals for
470-451: Is not classified as part of the M25 motorway ). In July 2011, a lorry fire in one tunnel closed the motorway. Although there were no injuries and no deaths, the tunnel remained closed and a contraflow system was in place in the remaining tunnel for about one month, causing major travel delays. In June 1999, the M4 bus lane was created on the third lane between junctions 2 and 3, initially as
517-515: Is the responsibility of National Highways . The 76 miles (122 km) in Wales is the responsibility of the South Wales Trunk Road Agent . For the majority of its length, the national speed limit applies. Exceptions include the following: The first section of smart motorway on the M4, between junctions 19 (M32) and 20 (M5) north of Bristol, has variable speed limits and includes a part-time hard-shoulder. Completion
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#1732791838607564-752: The County of London and Northern Ireland . The 1946 Act came into force in Wales on 1 April 1946 and produced a further 71 with 11 either completely or partially within Wales. This Act included roads within the County of London, but still excluded the City of London . A review of roads was carried out in 1997–1998 by the Welsh Office , which was part of the Government of the United Kingdom . It reviewed
611-698: The London-South Wales Motorway , is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales . The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely complete by 1980, though a non-motorway section around Briton Ferry bridge remained until 1993. On the opening of the Second Severn Crossing in 1996, the M4 was rerouted over it. The line of
658-574: The M49 was opened to link the new crossing with the M5 at Avonmouth . The new M49 shortened the route between South Wales and the South West, and reduced traffic at the busy M4/M5 junction at Almondsbury. In April 2005, speed checks carried out by police camera vans between junction 14 and junction 18 led to a public protest, involving a "go-slow" of several hundred vehicles along the affected sections of
705-520: The River Neath , which would allow access onto the stretch of the M4 from junction 43 westward. The second, eastern junction leads to and from the A48 towards Port Talbot . As a result, one can travel for almost 2 miles (3.2 km) on the motorway in either direction, both joining and then leaving the motorway at junction 41. Junction 44 is unusual in that the eastbound entrance dives under the inside of
752-528: The Welsh Government reviewed the way in which trunk roads and motorways were being managed, and by September 2004, they had decided to reduce the number of trunk road agencies from eight down to three. The three new agencies were: The three new Trunk Road Agencies started on 1 April 2006. Six years later on 1 April 2012 these were again reduced further down to two: Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and Gwynedd Council manage and maintain
799-467: The M4 would terminate at Tredegar Park west of Newport, and following the creation of the Welsh Office that the Government became committed to a high-standard dual carriageway to Carmarthenshire . The English section of the motorway was completed on 22 December 1971 when the 50-mile (80 km) stretch between junctions 9 and 15 Maidenhead and Swindon ) was opened to traffic. The Welsh section
846-608: The Mereoak roundabout and part of the A33 Swallowfield Bypass near Shinfield , and also the conversion of the two existing bridges, one of which is available only to pedestrians and cyclists and the other to buses. It also involved the movement of the local Highways Agency and Fire Service offices, and the construction of a long footbridge network, a new bus lane and a new gyratory . Sound barriers for nearby residential areas were also installed. In April 2008,
893-571: The Talgarth bypass runs on the former Mid-Wales Railway . Because this part of the road runs through the Brecon Beacons, additional treatment was needed to minimise disruption with the nearby countryside. This included a specific alignment of the highway, and replanting of hedgerows to fit in with the existing parts of the road. The bypass opened in 2009. In 2005, the A479 was listed as one of
940-686: The Trunk Road Forward Programme was again updated due to the pledges made in the One Wales the Labour Party and Plaid Cymru . As of April 2019, out of a total of 34,850 miles (56,090 km) of roads in Wales, 1,576 miles (2,536 km) are trunk roads (including 135 miles (217 km) of motorways and as of 2015 350 miles (560 km) of dual carriageway). In 2023, the Welsh Government announced it
987-584: The United Kingdom. Work started in autumn 2018 and was completed ahead of schedule in December 2021 at a cost of £848 million. Further conversions to smart motorways have been halted indefinitely. The Brynglas Tunnels carry the M4 under Brynglas Hill in Newport. The 360-metre-long (390 yd) tunnels are the first and only twin–bored tunnels in the UK motorway network (the Dartford Tunnel
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#17327918386071034-486: The county of Powys and is a single carriageway throughout its length. From Crickhowell to Talgarth , the road is in the Brecon Beacons National Park , and follows the Rhiangoll valley. The southern end is near Tretower Castle and Court . The A479 originally ran through Builth Wells to Rhayader . This part of the road is now the A470 . A short section of road near Llyswen was realigned in 1995. A bypass of Talgarth and Bronllys began construction in 2006. Part of
1081-596: The decision to formally abandon the proposed Junction 31 Thornhill was made in October 2007 and there had been no subsequent mention of it in Cardiff Council Strategic or Planning meetings since. In South Wales, the M4 has to thread its way through mountainous terrain and built-up areas, so there are some unusual junction layouts. Junction 27 ( High Cross ) is a normal grade-separated roundabout junction, but has severe space constraints: traffic joining
1128-486: The decision to preserve a rare Vickers machine gun pillbox and turn it into a bat roost was announced by the developers. Tolls were charged on the Severn Bridge(s) from opening until 2018. In 1966 the toll was 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 pre-decimal pence each-way for cars, rising to £1 in the late 1980s. Around 1991 the toll was doubled but charged in the westbound direction only, to reduce queuing. After 1996,
1175-478: The existing trunk road network and identified routes that were of national strategic importance. The factors for deciding which routes should be retained in the core (trunk) network included: These factors were published in the Government's white paper "A New Deal for Transport" in July 1998. The National Assembly for Wales took responsibility for devolved powers on 1 July 1999, as part of this process, transport
1222-420: The junction, effectively creating a "right-turn" on a roundabout. Similarly, slip roads pass under or over the main motorway at junctions 41 and 42. There have been calls to close the slip roads at junctions 40 and 41 to improve traffic flow. The motorway has only two lanes on this stretch and is a major traffic congestion blackspot. The short slip roads have not been modernised. A small-scale trial of closing
1269-473: The most dangerous roads in Wales in an AA Motorway Trust report. In 2013, another report suggested the same. The section of the A479 between Pengenffordd and Talgarth has had regular issues with subsidence . A section south of Talgarth was closed in March 2016. In February 2017, the road was closed for an extended period in order to lay new foundation work. In February 2020, a section of the road near Talgarth
1316-973: The motorway from London to Bristol runs closely in parallel with the A4 . After crossing the River Severn , toll-free since 17 December 2018, the motorway follows the A48 , to terminate at the Pont Abraham services in Carmarthenshire . The M4 is the only motorway in Wales apart from its two spurs : the A48(M) and the M48 . The major towns and cities along the route—a distance of approximately 189 miles (304 km)—include Slough , Reading , Swindon , Bristol, Newport , Cardiff , Bridgend , Port Talbot and Swansea . A new road from London to South Wales
1363-467: The motorway from a single slip road onto the westbound carriageway from the A48 at junction 38. There is no exit from the motorway at this junction. Junction 41 comprises two different junctions; one for local traffic to and from the west and one from the east. The former leads to and from a spur leading to the roundabout in Briton Ferry , formerly known as junction 41a, and the original bridge over
1410-441: The motorway must initially travel in the opposite direction to the intended direction of travel, before making a sharp left-hand turn from the slip road onto the motorway. At the time of construction, junction numbers 30 and 31 were reserved for future intermediate interchanges. Junction 30 ( Cardiff Gate ) has since been added, but there are no current plans to construct Junction 31 ( A469 road ). Junction 39 can only be used to access
1457-477: The motorway. Between 2007 and January 2010, the section from Castleton (junction 29) to Coryton (junction 32) was widened to six lanes. The scheme was formally opened on 25 January 2010 by Ieuan Wyn Jones the Deputy First Minister for Wales . During 2009, the Newport section of the motorway between junctions 23a and 29 was upgraded with a new concrete central barrier. In February 2010, it
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1504-574: The original road harder to follow. The London – Fishguard Trunk Road in 1936 only included the A48 and the A40 . With road improvements, most notably the M4 motorway , much of both the A48 and the A40 has been de-trunked The 1936 Act came into force in Wales on 1 April 1937 and created 30 trunk roads in Great Britain, with 5 roads either completely or partially within Wales. The Act excluded roads in
1551-458: The section from Slough to Maidenhead (J5-J7) opened in 1963 and J1-J5 opened on 24 March 1965 incorporating the Chiswick Flyover. The stretch from J18 to the west of Newport was opened in 1966, including the Severn Bridge . The Port Talbot by-pass, also built in the 1960s and now part of the M4, was originally the A48(M) motorway , a number now allocated to a short section of motorway near Cardiff. The Ministry of Transport originally intended that
1598-534: The tolls were equal westbound-only on both bridges, and rose steeply after 2000 to a peak of £6.70 for cars in 2017, leading to protests from Welsh businesses. Tolls on both bridges over the River Severn were eliminated on 17 December 2018, and the former toll booths were removed in 2019. Maintenance of the Second Severn Crossing and the 123 miles (198 km) of motorway in England
1645-527: The trunk road network on behalf of the Transport and Strategic Regeneration division of the Welsh Government for SWTRA and NMWTRA respectively. In March 2002, the Welsh Government developed their Trunk Road Forward Programme. The programme listed plans for major improvements and new road schemes. Following the 2004 review of the Welsh Government's transport policy in 2004, they updated the list for major improvements and new road schemes. In December 2008
1692-408: The westbound on-slip of junction 41 between 7 am and 9 am and from 4 pm to 6 pm on weekdays started on 4 August 2014 but following heavy criticism from local businesses and residents, was stopped on 29 May 2015. On 5 June 2019, the Welsh Government scrapped the proposal for a proposed motorway south of Newport . The Welsh Assembly Government had revived the scheme as
1739-406: Was closed and a new junction built a little to the west, taking both numbers. The road to the A4 became A423(M) and later A404(M) , and the junction with the A4 became 9B. Junction 9A is the exit for Cox Green and White Waltham . To the west of junction 13 on the eastbound carriageway there are a set of sliproads signposted "Works Unit Only". The signs have red borders, implying a military exit. It
1786-694: Was closed following a collapse during Storm Dennis . The damage affected the surface and foundation of the road, resulting it being closed until November. Trunk roads in Wales Trunk roads in Wales were created in the Trunk Roads Act of 1936 when the UK Ministry of Transport took direct control over 30 of the principal roads in Great Britain from English , Welsh and Scottish local authorities . The number of trunk roads
1833-540: Was designed to have a heated road surface to reduce icing in winter. The M4 has two of the three four-level stack interchanges in the UK, including the first UK example at junction 20, the " Almondsbury Interchange " with the M5. The other is at junction 4b, the " Thorney Interchange " with the M25; this interchange has to make provision for a railway line passing beneath the M4. Due to the nature of these junctions, one cannot make
1880-466: Was expecting more interventional schemes would be required in the future to tackle long-standing air quality issues. This could be possibly road pricing on some of Wales' trunk roads, like London's ULEZ . Although, a minister stated there are no current plans to introduce them. Starting in March 2023, the Welsh Government were drafting a bill to expand their powers to implement road pricing, should they need it. M4 motorway The M4 , originally
1927-457: Was first proposed in the 1930s. In 1956 the Ministry of Transport announced the plans for the first major post-war road improvement projects. The Chiswick flyover , a short section of elevated dual-carriageway, not originally classed as a motorway, opened in 1959 to reduce the impact of traffic travelling between central London and the west. The Maidenhead bypass (J7-J9) opened in 1961,
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1974-455: Was for use by buses, coaches, motorcycles, emergency vehicles and licensed taxis but not mini-cabs. In December 2010, the bus lane was suspended for 18 months. It was reinstated temporarily for the 2012 Summer Olympics and then permanently decommissioned. Near junction 35 of the M4, there is a stretch of the motorway that has a surfacing of porous asphalt that improves drainage and reduces noise. When driving in heavy rain drivers notice
2021-423: Was in summer 2014. Another section between junctions 24 and 29 in Newport had variable speed limits until 2021, when it was changed to a permanent 50 mph (80 km/h) limit with average speed cameras. In 2010, it was announced that the motorway would be changed to a smart motorway between junctions 3 and 12. With a length of 32 miles (51 km), on completion it became the longest smart motorway scheme in
2068-749: Was increased from 30 to 101 in the Trunk Roads Act of 1946. These roads formed what the Act called "the national system of routes for through traffic". Since Welsh devolution the trunk road system in Wales has been managed by the South Wales Trunk Road Agent and the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent on behalf of the Welsh Government . As of April 2019, out of a total of 34,850 miles (56,090 km) of roads in Wales, 1,576 miles (2,536 km) are trunk roads (including 135 miles (217 km) of motorways and as of 2015 350 miles (560 km) of dual carriageway ). Historically, trunk roads have been listed on maps with
2115-468: Was largely completed between 1970 and 1980, though a non-motorway section remained across the Briton Ferry bridge until 1993, when a second motorway-only bridge opened. In 1996, the Second Severn Crossing opened with new link motorways on either side of the estuary to divert the M4 over the new crossing. At the same time, the original route over the Severn Bridge was redesignated the M48 , and
2162-480: Was proposed that the M4 in South Wales would become the first hydrogen highway with hydrogen stations provided along the route, with an aspiration for further stations to be provided along the M4 into South West England over time. Between 2008 and 2010, junction 11 was extensively remodelled with a new four-lane junction, two new road bridges and other works. The £65 million scheme included work on
2209-568: Was transferred from the Parliament of the United Kingdom to the National Assembly for Wales and with it responsibility for the trunk road network, including motorways. Responsibility for the management of highways in Wales is split between the Welsh Government and local highway agencies. The Welsh Government is responsible for trunk roads and motorways, whilst the 22 local authorities are responsible for all other highways. In 2001
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