This week, my ward colleague, Cllr Jayne McKenna and I joined local Senedd Members and representatives from Mitchel Troy and Raglan community councils to meet with the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Ken Skates MS. The focus was the long-overdue improvements to the A40 crossings near Raglan. For too long this junction has been a cause for concern for residents and continues to attract dangerous driving.

The Welsh Government conducted a safety study, which was published in June 2024. It set out six long-term options to improve safety, including several potential roundabout locations. While these proposals are welcome, they remain uncosted proposals that could take many years to deliver. What residents want to see is swift action to reduce the risk of accidents.

The report also identified three ‘quick wins’, which could be delivered within 12 months. The proposed 50mph speed limit from the Raglan roundabout to the A449/A40 slip roads was implemented almost immediately and we understand that speed monitoring suggests drivers are largely complying, though we’re still waiting for the actual data to be shared by Welsh Government.

The other two quick wins - blocking two of the three right-hand turns from the A449/A40 towards Mitchel Troy and from Monmouth Road, Raglan towards the A40/A449 - are still the subject of ongoing discussions between the Welsh Government and the County Council. The County Council is planning a temporary closure of the Monmouth Road turn to assess its impact on traffic levels on Raglan High Street.

We pressed the Cabinet Secretary to move forward with closing the dangerous right-hand turn towards Dingestow and Mitchel Troy. Too often we are seeing accidents on these junctions, even though cheap and relatively simple interventions could make a difference. The meeting was well attended by local politicians and included officials from the Welsh Government and the County Council. We’re going to continue working together to ensure that measures are implemented as soon as possible.

We left the meeting feeling more confident that the issue is on the Cabinet Secretary’s radar. While the immediate priority is implementing the ‘quick wins’, we were reassured that Ken Skates was open to more significant interventions if required to make the crossings safe.

Residents have waited long enough for progress on these dangerous road crossings. We will continue to lobby both the council and Welsh Government to deliver these quick wins to make these junctions safer for everyone.