TRAFFIC chaos brought Chepstow to a standstill on Friday, October 24, as a heavy goods vehicle had broken down on the Highbeech roundabout, while another tried to pass it and got stuck.

Reports surfaced on community groups via social media at around 9.30am that traffic was building heavily due to the situation.

Gwent Police received a report of a broken down heavy goods vehicle on the roundabout, at around 9.50am, and officers were sent out to deal with traffic management and await recovery of the lorries.

At around 12.10pm, the roundabout was cleared, however queues remained heavy with backed up traffic eventually able to move.

The news comes following the announcement that the M48 Severn Bridge weight restrictions will be lifted while longer term options are explored by National Highways. Since the restriction has been in place, concerns about Chepstow’s infrastructure were raised further.

Councillor Nick Evans, Conservative Ward member for Tidenham and Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire, has long been vocal on the necessity for a Chepstow bypass, which he called a gateway to the Forest of Dean. He has previously explained that the councils and governments know what will solve the problem, but they “kick the can down the road.”

Cllr Nick Evans said: “With the potential long term closure of the Old Wye Bridge, it looks like the chickens are coming home to roost for Chepstow’s congestion problem. The disruption this morning demonstrates how fragile our infrastructure is. While both the Welsh and English authorities are burying their heads in the sand, people in the South Forest and Monmouthshire are left to suffer from their inaction.”

The traffic problems reignited the debate for a Forest of Dean gateway which some councillors, Senedd members and residents say could be the long awaited solution.