Speed limit cut along ‘accident blackspot’ road

A STRETCH of road in West Wales described as an “accident blackspot” has had its speed limit cut after a campaign by concerned residents.

The A478 connects the A40 at Penblewin with Narberth.

A section of the road which passes through the hamlet of Stoneyford was subject to a 50mph speed restriction which was brought into effect in 2016.

However, after a number of crashes on the road in recent years – coupled with campaigning by people living in the area – a proposal was put forward by Pembrokeshire Council in December 2021 to reduce the speed limit further.

After a period of consultation, it has now been agreed that the road will be subject to a speed limit of 40mph.

A spokesman for Pembrokeshire

Council said: “A speed limit review has been carried out on the A478 between Narberth and Penblewin Roundabout. The review took into account the collision history, speed survey data and geometry of the road. The review concluded that the current speed limit should be reduced to 40mph.”

The A478 is a main route which connects Narberth with the A40, which is the main dual carriageway connecting Pembrokeshire with Carmarthenshire. A part of the A40 itself is undergoing a multi-million pound upgrade between Llanddewi Velfrey and Redstone Cross.

Meanwhile, further west towards Carmarthen, another section of the

A40 is subject to a Welsh Government safety study. Stage one of that study has now been completed and identified a number of issues with the eight-and-a-half-mile stretch of road.

As a result of those findings, considerations are now being looked at as part of stage two of the study.

As for the A478 heading south of the A40 towards Narberth, Marc Tierney, who was a parliamentary candidate for the local constituency of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire in both 2017 and 2019, said: “After a long campaign by local residents, a new 40mph speed zone has been introduced on the A478 at Stoneyford between Penblewin and Narberth.

“Stoneyford has been an accident blackspot for some time which has sadly resulted in several fatalities.”