MADAM,

It was very interesting to read David Rowlands’ letter in last week’s Beacon, in respect to making improvements to the A40 / A466 junction (Would flyover help?, Beacon letters 1st August). However he might be interested to know that in 2015, the Welsh Government contacted all the local authorities across Wales and requested them to respond to the National Transport Plan for Wales, (this was a 192-page detailed consultation enquiry), which basically asked councils to advise of any transport issues in their area.

Seemingly there were only two major responses to their NTP for Wales. One of which raised the issues of the road connections between north and south Wales and the other was reference to the 50+ years traffic lights junction on the A40 trunk road at Monmouth.

A detailed 15-page response was forwarded to the Welsh Government on behalf of Monmouth Town Council, which included the following options for them to consider, with the aim of easing the daily traffic holdups, together with the air polution issue at this junction. Breifly these were as follows:

•Close the 400-year-old Wye Bridge to traffic, leaving it to be used solely for pedestrians and cyclists.

•Do away with the traffic lights at the Wye Bridge junction. This would allow traffic to bypass Monmouth without even stopping, so gently ease the regular traffic holdups and the pollution issues at this location.

•Construct a new road bridge across the River Wye from the Dixton Roundabout, over to the Hadnock Road to link Wyesham and the Forest of Dean.

•Preferably also, to construct a new road bridge from the A466 (Redbrook road) to closely follow the old railway line over to Monmouthshire County Council Yard, behind the Gibraltar Tunnels, to include constructing a slip road onto the the A40 to travel towards South Wales. This option would also hugely speed up the traffic connection onto the A40 from the Overmonnow area of Monmouth.

I find it difficult to understand why the Welsh Government is investing hundreds of millions of pounds to improve the A465 from Govilon to Merthyr Tydfil, when the A40 (400-year-old bridge junction) at Monmouth still has its 50+ years old traffic lights and the constant traffic holdups!

Chris Munslow

(Monmouth)