JAM-PACKED WALES
Statistics reveal top 10 busiest A roads in the country
TRAFFIC jams are a nightmare for every driver – especially if you are in a rush. Heavy traffic is a regular occurrence for commuters and can lead to an increased number of crashes and more pollution.
Comparison site GoCompare has analysed data from the Department for Transport to uncover which stretches of A road are the busiest in Wales.
Motorways are not included and small stretches of roads overlap.
The information is calculated by annual average daily flow to give the number of vehicles that will drive on that stretch of road on an average day of the year.
These are the 10 stretches of A road in Wales with the greatest amount of traffic:
Cardiff A48 between A4161 and A4232 (Cowbridge Road East and Culverhouse Cross) – 82,775 motor- ised vehicles;
Cardiff A470 between M4 and A4054 (Gabalfa to Coryton) roundabouts – 82,343 motorised vehicles;
Cardiff A48 between A4232 and A48M junction 29A (past University Hospital of Wales) – 79,014 motorised vehicles;
A470 between Coryton and Nantgarw – 75,720 motorised vehicles;
Cardiff A470 between Pontypridd and Abercynon – 75,720 motorised vehicles;
A470 between A4054 Upper Boat and A4054 Glyntaff – 71,716 motorised vehicles;
Flintshire A494 between B5125 and A550 – 70,332 motorised vehicles;
Flintshire A550 between A458/ A494 and local authority boundary – 65,504 motorised vehicles;
A470 between A468/A4054 and A4054 (near Treforest Industrial Estate) – 64,307 motorised vehicles;
Flintshire A494 between A55 and B5125 – 64,002 motorised vehicles.
According to the AA, there is a mixed picture accross Welsh roads. Urban A roads have got 1.1% more congested over five years whereas motorways are 11.4% worse.
On Welsh urban minor though, traffic flows have changed.
This is consistent with the general trend in traffic, which has seen UK traffic levels reach record levels for nine consecutive quarters but with traffic on residential streets yet to recover to pre-financial crash levels.
This is due to economic recovery putting more haulage lorries, delivery vans and commuters on the main roads. roads, barely
On the flipside, high fuel prices, pressure on parking, car-sharing from more people living at the same address, and home deliveries have reduced traffic on urban minor roads – despite them being cluttered with parked cars.
A spokesman for the AA said: “Congestion is a headache at some point for most drivers. The best advice we can give is to be prepared and plan your journey.
“Always ensure you have plenty of fuel before you set off, particularly on a long journey, so that if you do hit an unexpected delay you do not run out of fuel as well.
“It’s worth listening to your local radio station for traffic bulletins and planning your route in advance to avoid known traffic hotspots if you can.
“If you do find yourself stuck in traffic make sure you always stay a safe distance from the car in front and try not to let the delay cause you undue stress.”
The road safety charity Brake called on the Government to take steps to avoid the increase in accidents associated with congestion.
A spokeswoman for the charity said: “There are a huge number of vehicles using our roads, as these figures demonstrate, and the number of vehicles is only predicted to increase.
“More vehicles overall means more congestion, more harmful emissions and more risk of road crashes.
“Brake urges the UK Government to make a real commitment to sustainable travel by lowering national default speed limits and investing in safe paths and segregated cycle routes to encourage more people to leave their car at home and seek alternative forms of transport, making the roads safer for everyone.”