Speaking in a Senedd debate on the Assembly Finance Committee’s critical report into the Assembly Government’s funding road infrastructure today, William Graham AM said:
“Both the Heads of the Valleys road dualling programme and the M4 relief road around Newport had the capacity to bring tremendous social and economic opportunities to South East Wales but have been mired in controversy. The report emphasises just how high a priority the Assembly Government had regarded the M4 relief road to – until its abandonment last July.
“In the view of the CBI and Gwent Business leaders, the new M4 around Newport was head and shoulders the most key route for the Welsh economy. Along with the thousands of people who are delayed on the motorway around Newport I eagerly anticipate this summer’s publication of the plans for the new road connecting the Newport Southern Distributor Road to the M4 motorway.”
Commenting on the announcement that the next stage of the dualling of the Heads of the Valleys road between Brynmawr and Tredegar will start in 2012, the Conservative AM for South Wales East said:
“I warmly welcome this announcement and the assurance that 50 of the newly created 200 jobs will be given to local unemployed people. This project has been overshadowed by the argument over which Transport Minister should take responsibility for the scheme’s slippage. The Labour – Plaid Government must take heed of the report’s findings and focus upon creating an integrated transport system which recognises the importance of East-West links and unlocks the economic potential of the Gwent Valleys.”
