Misplaced Pages

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47-640: The undeveloped salt marsh area south of the Fabian Way and north Jersey Marine Beach is a designated biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and is one of the last remaining places of the Swansea Bay coastline that has remained unmodified by industrial development. The area contains sand dunes , a salt marsh and carr woodland. The burrows also contain a rare orchid - the Fen Orchid, Liparis loeselii . The 1,000-acre (400 ha) site

94-601: 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

141-460: 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,

188-522: A northwesterly direction. It meets the M4 again at junction 47 at Penllergaer , after which it multiplexes with the A48 along Swansea Road, Bryntirion Road and Bolgoed Road to Pontarddulais . After Pontarddulais, the route continues along Heol Fforest and Carmarthen Road. It diverges from the A48 at the M4 junction 49, turning northeast towards Ammanford and then north towards Llandeilo . At Llandeilo it joins

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

517-567: 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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564-554: The A40 , then multiplexes with this route as far as Llandovery . From here, it continues north into Powys. The A483 continues through Llanwrtyd Wells , Builth Wells (where it intersects with the A470 ) and Llandrindod Wells . It intersects with the A44 at Crossgates , just north of Llandrindod Wells, then continues to Newtown . The original route, through the centre of the town, passed under

611-715: The Cambrian Line at the Dolfor Road Railway Bridge. This low bridge, with a height restriction of 13 ft 3 in (4.04 m), was hit by high vehicles on many occasions. A bypass to the Southeast of Newtown was opened in 2019, crossing the Cambrian Line to the East of the town before rejoining the original route. From Newtown, the road continues to Welshpool , running roughly parallel to

658-762: 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

705-574: 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

752-471: 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

799-992: The River Severn , before crossing the border into England at Llanymynech . From Llanymynech, the A483 continues north, bypassing Oswestry . Here, it picks up a multiplex with the A5 ; the two routes then cross into Wales at Chirk . After the A5 diverges to the west at Chirk, the A483 crosses the River Dee , then reaches Ruabon . Here, it becomes a dual carriageway with numbered grade-separated junctions. Junction 1 – A539 Ruabon Junction 2 – B5426 Johnstown Junction 3 – A5152 Croesfoel Junction 4 – A525 Ruthin Road Junction 5 – A541 Mold Road Junction 6 – A5156 (A534) Gresford Junction 7 – B5102 Rossett Just south of Chester ,

846-720: The Swansea to Manchester Trunk Road , although now ending in Chester, is a major road in the United Kingdom . It runs from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England via Llandovery , Llandrindod Wells , Oswestry and Wrexham , a distance of around 153 miles (246 km). The A483 begins at the M4 motorway junction 42, just east of Swansea. It travels west along the Fabian Way towards Swansea city centre, where it turns to

893-554: The Welsh Government and the European Investment Bank . Construction work started on the site in 2013 and the main phase completed in 2015, with accommodation blocks added later. Companies which intended to establish research facilities at the site include Rolls-Royce , Hewlett-Packard , Tata , Bell Labs and BAE . The buildings were designed by Porphyrios Associates . The student residences at

940-734: The A483 intersects with the A55 North Wales Expressway . It then continues as a single carriageway to its terminus at the city centre, crossing the Grosvenor Bridge over the Dee. There have been demands for a dual carriageway from Shrewsbury to Wrexham, including the section of the A483 from Oswestry to Ruabon; also a campaign by residents for a bypassing Llanymynech and Pant . [REDACTED] Media related to A483 road (Great Britain) at Wikimedia Commons M4 motorway (Great Britain) The M4 , originally

987-997: The Bay Campus have been designed so that the internal space is modern and the external build stands the test of time in both design and the elements. 51°37′17.00″N 3°53′24.00″W  /  51.6213889°N 3.8900000°W  / 51.6213889; -3.8900000 A483 road [REDACTED] M4 [REDACTED] A4067 [REDACTED] A4217 [REDACTED] A4118 [REDACTED] A4216 [REDACTED] A484 [REDACTED] M4 [REDACTED] M4 [REDACTED] A474 [REDACTED] A476 [REDACTED] A470 [REDACTED] A4081 [REDACTED] A489 [REDACTED] A458 [REDACTED] A495 [REDACTED] A539 [REDACTED] A5152 [REDACTED] A525 [REDACTED] A541 [REDACTED] A5152 [REDACTED] A5156 [REDACTED] A5104 [REDACTED] A5268 The A483 , officially described as

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1034-527: 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

1081-439: The M4. It is considered to be the main entrance to Swansea City Centre. Swansea University has a 100-acre (40 ha) site south of Fabian Way as a second campus and innovation park . The development is on land previously used by BP as a petrochemicals transit site, which BP gifted to the university. The site stretches from Swansea Docks to Crymlyn Bog . Funding for the project was made available in September 2012 from

1128-608: 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,

1175-581: The Monkstone Sailing and Cruising Club is at Earlswood in the east of the area, under the M4 motorway viaduct, with access to the estuary of the River Neath. Fabian Way is an arterial road which connects Swansea City Centre with the M4 motorway at junction 42. It forms a stretch of the A483 road . It is about 4.7 miles (7.6 km) long and cuts through the centre of Crymlyn Burrows in

1222-584: 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

1269-596: 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

1316-486: 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,

1363-420: 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

1410-814: 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

1457-467: 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

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1504-441: 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

1551-477: 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

1598-458: 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

1645-633: The site which was sold includes factory premises and the offices and canteen buildings fronting the Fabian Way. The plant was built in 1959 for the Prestcold fridge company and was later acquired by Ford who manufactured car axle and transmission components there. Ford later transferred the site to Visteon. The 30-acre (12 ha) site acquired by RT properties has been re-developed as a business park branded Swansea Gate Business Park. The 24,600-square-metre (265,000 sq ft) car parts factory

1692-534: 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

1739-475: The unitary authorities of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot . Fabian Way is a dual carriageway for its whole length. The speed limit is 30 mph (48 km/h) between the city centre and Port Tennant , after which the limit rises to 40 mph (64 km/h) until the Jersey Marine traffic lights. The road is a standard national speed limit dual carriageway between Jersey Marine and the junction with

1786-408: 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

1833-729: Was acquired by St. Modwen from BP in November 2009 and will be kept as a protected leisure destination. Industrial sites in the northeastern part of the area include the Linamar Elba Works site, the Gower Chemicals site, and Network Rail's Swansea Burrows yard. Part of the Visteon industrial site was acquired by RT Properties in 2007 with Visteon consolidating their operations in the Elba Works plant. The part of

1880-406: 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

1927-540: 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

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1974-457: 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,

2021-455: 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

2068-423: 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

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

2162-553: Was later closed and is now used as a film studio. BP has a storage site south east of the Fabian Way adjacent to Swansea Docks . Amazon has a 33-acre (13 ha) distribution centre just west of the Jersey Marine roundabout on the Fabian Way. The 18 hole links golf course of the Swansea Bay Golf Club lies to the east of Jersey Marine village. It is the oldest golf club in the Swansea area. The marina of

2209-480: 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

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