Transport in Wales – a revolution in the making?
Following the publication of the Welsh Government budget for 2020-21, Mark Valentine, Growth Director at WSP, the engineering professional services consultancy, identifies the major Welsh transport infrastructure projects that are set to reshape the nation for future generations
IN THE first Welsh Budget since last year’s climate emergency declaration, which was announced this week, £20bn funding commitment for the 2020-21 period is encouraging in that it outlined spending increases across every Welsh Government department, with major cash injections promised to infrastructure and transport schemes across Wales.
Capital investment into the economy and transport received a significant uplift, with tens of millions of additional spending directed towards developing future ready infrastructure schemes, as well as updating existing ageing infrastructure enabling it to cope with greater population density, changes in mobility and the realities of climate change.
These financial commitments boost further pledges unveiled late last year by First Minister Mark Drakeford, who announced a £130m investment in priority areas, such as transport, housing and schools, alongside the publication of the updated Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan (WIIP) pipeline.
The pipeline sets out plans for £33bn investment on infrastructure projects, including all three Mutual Investment Model (MIM)-funded projects – the redevelopment of the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff (£210m), the improvement of the Heads of the Valleys road (approximately £1bn) and additional investment in Band B of the 21st Century
Schools Programme (£2.3bn).
Since the WIIP was published in 2012, around £15bn has been spent to deliver flagship capital investment programmes in order to update Wales’ infrastructure, with many more billions set to be allocated.
So, following yesterday’s Budget and the latest updates to the WIIP, where is the money being spent and how will it help connect communities across Wales in the future?
■ Roads
The future of Welsh roads is laid out in the National Transport Finance Plan – a commitment to a five-year programme of road, rail, bus and active travel investments – which states that ‘decarbonisation is at the heart of decision making for infrastructure developments’.
Investment in metro schemes, the electrification of rail lines and active travel play a key part in the decarbonisation of transport, but it’s important to outline the contribution of roads investment to this agenda.
Extra roads can reduce congestion and thus improve air quality, and indeed greater connectivity within Wales’ regions increases the opportunity for the roll out of hybrid and electric vehicles, which the Welsh Government is keen to promote.
Crucially, like rail connections and metro lines, new and better roads help unlock communities and act as a catalyst for regeneration, pushing investment into the areas which really need it.
Roads are also a means to improve community resilience. Roads due for
upgrades and extensions within the planned infrastructure pipeline include the new £42m A487 Dyfi Bridge which will deliver a resilient trunk road scheme in a flood prone area, the £135m A487 Caernarfon and Bontnewydd bypass and the huge investment in the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road.
The £336m Section Two (dualling Abergavenny and Hirwaun) is due for completion within the next 12 months, and Sections Five and Six (£440m) will make up the final section of this arterial route along the Heads of Valleys, which is set to have huge benefits for communities in the area.
■ Multi Modal Transport
Of course, updates to Wales’ transport infrastructure needs to be about more than upgrading and building roads, especially given decarbonising the way we travel will be crucial in helping the Welsh Government meet the recommendations by the Committee on Climate Change that it should deliver a 95% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.
The Welsh Government has made its commitment to significantly upgrading the country’s public transportation network very clear, yet even with much-needed investment poured into transforming the way we move around Wales, it could still take some years to experience these positive impacts.
Exciting work is already under way, however.
Perhaps the most visible and significant project is the South Wales Metro – the cornerstone of the £1.2bn City Deal – which will help meet the social and economic objectives of the Cardiff Capital Region – home to 10 local authorities.
The Metro will both boost prosperity in the region and play a vital role in servicing the needs of a population set to grow significantly over the next 20 years.
Additional public transportation funding dedicated to South Wales includes the £120m Cardiff Interchange, located adjacent to Cardiff Central Station, which will be operated by Transport for Wales.
It’s scheduled for completion in 2024 and it will be the main multimodal transport exchange at the heart of the South Wales Metro.
Moreover, an extra £4.8m has been promised for Cardiff Airport and an extra £20m for the North East Wales Metro, which until now has been focused on delivering active travel and bus infrastructure improvements in Deeside and Wrexham.
■ Active travel
Walking and cycling have become an important part of urban planning, particularly in Wales where local authority consideration of active travel became law in 2013 via the Active Travel Act – the first of its kind in the world.
Active transportation planning and design can reduce demand for road infrastructure, improve multimodal network performance, enhance safety and reduce construction and maintenance costs of traditional vehicle-oriented roads, and support the development of vibrant communities.
Given this, it is little wonder that the Welsh Government is leaning heavily towards promoting active travel methods and backing it up with tens of millions of pounds to improve the necessary infrastructure, as well as offering financial support for private sector schemes like NextBike.
The bike-sharing provider’s Cardiff scheme has been its most successful UK launch since it began operations in 2014, an extremely positive indicator of the future of Wales’ active travel ambitions.