South-West Wales A40 Upgrade Completed, More Needed, Haulier Says

A £60 million upgrade to a four-mile stretch of the A40 near Narberth, Pembrokeshire, in south-west Wales has been welcomed by local hauliers and is expected to ease years of congestion, particularly benefitting tourism and freight traffic to key ports like Milford Haven, Fishguard, and Pembroke Dock. The improvements include new overtaking opportunities, enhanced roundabouts, and new junctions at Llanddewi Velfrey and Redstone Cross, aiming to reduce journey times and address heavy summer traffic. However, haulage industry representatives argue that while the upgrade is a positive step, further infrastructure projects are urgently needed elsewhere in Wales, such as a relief road around Newport, to address remaining bottlenecks. The Welsh government has indicated that future road schemes could be considered if they align with climate emergency goals, and has allocated an additional £25 million to address approximately 30,000 road defects. The carriageway is not dualled, but safety and traffic flow are expected to improve with the new design. Local businesses and residents hope the changes will alleviate severe holiday congestion and improve overall connectivity in the region.