Road may see speed cut and junctions shut
A NUMBER of turn-offs could be closed and new speed restrictions could be enforced on one of the most dangerous stretches of road in West Wales as part of a bid to make it safer, the Welsh Government has confirmed.
The A40 between Carmarthen and St Clears is currently subject to a transport appraisal guidance (WelTAG) study which is looking at ways to reduce the number of crashes on the road and improve driver safety.
The dual carriageway is used by thousands of motorists as it is the main route connecting Carmarthen with further afield in West Wales including many popular tourism spots in Pembrokeshire.
Between January 1, 2010, and August 31, 2019, there were 359 crashes on the stretch of road. More than a quarter of those resulted in injuries while two people were killed, including a four-year-old girl.
The same stretch has seen two fatal incidents in the past six months with the deaths of a 20-year-old man in September 2020 and a 37-year-old female police officer in February this year.
It was hoped that stage one of the Welsh Government study into the road would be completed by the spring of 2020 but there has been a delay. One change they did put in place in 2019 was the introduction of a reduced speed limit on a section of the eastbound side of the A40 as drivers approach Carmarthen.
While the rest of the carriageway has a 70mph speed limit in line with national guidelines, a 1.4mile stretch now has a 50mph limit in place. However data obtained from Gosafe Cymru collected between June and October 2020 revealed that, during 13 visits to the spot where an officer monitored motorists’ speed with a hand-held device, 1,249 people were caught speeding. On average it worked out that 96 drivers were caught speeding in one spot every hour.
While the Welsh Government’s study is still in progress, they have refused to rule out several big changes to the A40 between Carmarthen and St Clears. The stretch of road, which only measures just over eight miles, has numerous junctions, turn-offs, and cross-over points on both sides.
If travelling west from Carmarthen towards St Clears there are 16 junctions and turn-offs, most of which don’t have slip roads or slip lanes. There are also several points where you are allowed to cross over the eastbound side of the carriageway and there are six laybys for people to pull in and out of.
When driving on the eastbound side from St Clears to Carmarthen there are 17 turn-offs, the vast majority of which don’t have a slip lane preceding the actual turning which would allow vehicles to veer off the road rather than turn sharply.
On the eastbound side there are also several cross-over points where vehicles can cross over the westbound carriageway along with seven laybys and a bus stop. The A40 is a dual carriageway and has the same speed limit as a motorway.
With stage one of its study to be completed within the next two months the Welsh Government has now confirmed that the idea of closing certain turn-offs “has been a key driver for the study” and something which is being “considered”.
They also said that reducing the speed limit along the whole carriageway is a “possible solution” and did not rule out the introduction of an average speed monitoring system similar to those used elsewhere such as on the M4 near Port Talbot.
When asked if the road as a whole is suitable to act as the main gateway between Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire a Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “The study will investigate current flows and future projections based on planned development and projected traffic growth.”
Safety issues on the A40 west of Carmarthen have been raised in recent months by the town’s mayor, councillor Gareth John. Referring to the number of people caught speeding on the eastbound stretch of the carriageway as “absolutely staggering”, Mr John said a couple of junctions within the 50mph zone were a particular cause for concern.
“There is one slip exiting the A40, a bus stop at Travellers Rest, and two slip roads onto the carriageway,” said Mr John.
“The one onto the dual carriageway by the new housing development and link road is particularly dangerous as it’s extremely short and has been hazardous from day one.
“The increased volume of traffic joining the dual carriageway with speeding traffic at this junction is just plainly dangerous.
“I’m surprised that such a short slip road complies with the stringent highway safety standards in place to safeguard the public and given the speed of the traffic on the dual carriageway itself it clearly warrants an immediate urgent review and action.”
The WelTAG stage 1 study into the A40 is still ongoing and the Welsh Government has confirmed that it is due to be concluded in May 2021.