Native name | Asiant Cefnffyrdd De Cymru (Welsh) |
---|---|
Formerly | South Wales Trunk Road Agency |
Company type | Welsh Government agency |
Industry | Trunk road agent (Highway authority) |
Founded | 1 April 2006 |
Headquarters | The Quays Brunel Way Briton Ferry Neath |
Area served | |
Key people | Richard Jones [1] (Head of Service) |
Owner | Welsh Government |
Number of employees | 124 (2015) [1] |
Website | traffic |
The South Wales Trunk Road Agent (SWTRA; Welsh : Asiant Cefnffyrdd De Cymru) is one of the two trunk road agents in Wales. It is responsible for managing motorways and trunk roads in South Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government. Established on 1 April 2006 as the South Wales Trunk Road Agency, and renamed to its current name on 1 April 2012. The agent manages the motorways and trunk roads in the fourteen principal areas of the south of Wales, from the Severn Bridge in the east to Milford Haven in the west. The remainder of Wales is managed by the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent.
Prior to the South Wales Trunk Road Agency being established, motorways and trunk roads in Wales were managed by the Ministry of Transport, later being taken on by the Welsh Office. The National Assembly for Wales took responsibility for devolved powers on 1 July 1999, [2] as part of this process, transport was transferred from the Parliament of the United Kingdom to the National Assembly for Wales and with it responsibility for the trunk road network, including motorways. [3] Responsibility for the management of highways in Wales is split between the Welsh Government and local highway agencies. The Welsh Government is responsible for trunk roads and motorways, whilst the 22 local authorities are responsible for all other highways.
In 2001 the Welsh Government reviewed the way in which trunk roads and motorways were being managed, [4] and by September 2004, [4] they had decided to reduce the number of trunk road agencies from eight down to three. [4] The three new agencies including the South Wales Trunk Road Agency (SWTRA), which was later renamed the South Wales Trunk Road Agent. [4]
The South Wales Trunk Road Agency (SWTRA) acts as Agent Highway Authority for the Welsh Government
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council manage and maintains the trunk road network on behalf of the Transport and Strategic Regeneration division of the Welsh Government for SWTRA. [5] [6]
As of April 2015, out of a total of 34,495 miles (55,514 km) of roads in Wales, 1,576 kilometres (979 mi) are trunk roads (including 133 kilometres (83 mi) of motorways and 350 kilometres (220 mi) of dual carriageway). [7]
Road number | Route within SWTRA |
---|---|
M4 | Second Severn Crossing - Pont Abraham |
M48 | Severn Bridge - M4, Junction 23 Plaza |
A48(M) | M4, Junction. 29 - A48 Western Avenue. |
A40 | England Border at Monmouth - Fishguard. |
A48 | Chepstow - Carmarthen. |
A449 | M4, Junction 24, Coldra - A40, Raglan Interchange. |
A465 | Llangua - M4, Junction 43, Llandarcy. |
A466 | Newhouse Roundabout - A48(T) Highbeech Roundabout. |
A470 | M4, Cyffordd 32, Coryton – A465, Cefn Coed. |
A477 | A40 Junction, St Clears - Pembroke Dock. |
A483 | Pont Abraham - A40, Rhosmaen. |
A487 | A40, Fishguard - Stand Back Lane. |
A4042 | M4, Junction 25A - A40 Hardwick Roundabout, Abergavenny. |
A4060 | A470, Junction at Pentre-bach - A465, Dowlais Junction. |
A4076 | Milford - A40, Haverfordwest. |
A4232 | M4, Junction 33, Capel Llanilltern - Culverhouse Cross Interchange. |
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Trunk roads in Wales were created in the Trunk Roads Act of 1936 when the UK Ministry of Transport took direct control over 30 of the principal roads in Great Britain from English, Welsh and Scottish local authorities. The number of trunk roads was increased from 30 to 101 in the Trunk Roads Act of 1946. These roads formed what the Act called "the national system of routes for through traffic". Since Welsh devolution the trunk road system in Wales has been managed by the South Wales Trunk Road Agent and the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent on behalf of the Welsh Government. As of April 2019, out of a total of 34,850 miles (56,090 km) of roads in Wales, 1,576 miles (2,536 km) are trunk roads.
The North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent is one of the two trunk road agents in Wales. It is responsible for managing trunk roads in North and Mid Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government. A merger of two trunk road agencies, established separately on 1 April 2006, the North Wales Trunk Road Agency and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency, the two bodies were merged and renamed to its current name on 1 April 2012. The agent manages trunk roads in eight principal areas of the north and mid regions of Wales: the respective principal councils of Anglesey, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Powys, and Wrexham. The remainder of Wales is managed by the South Wales Trunk Road Agent.