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 (56,090km) of roads in Wales, 1,576 miles (2,536km) are trunk roads (including 135 miles (217km) of motorways and as of 2015 350 miles (560km) of dual carriageway).[1][2]
Historically, trunk roads have been listed on maps with a "(T)" after their number, to distinguish them from non-trunk parts of the same road. However, this suffix is no longer included on current Ordnance Survey maps. The North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent still use it to distinguish the trunk road from a non-trunk road.[3] When a trunk road had been improved by a motorway, bypass or a similar route, it may be de-trunked. When a road is de-trunked, signposts are often replaced, and sometimes route numbers are changed, making the original road harder to follow. The London–Fishguard Trunk Road in 1936 only included the A48 and the A40. With road improvements, most notably the M4 motorway, much of both the A48 and the A40 has been de-trunked[4][5]
Under UK Parliamentary control
The 1936 Act came into force in Wales on 1 April 1937 and created 30 trunk roads in Great Britain, with 5 roads either completely or partially within Wales. The Act excluded roads in the County of London and Northern Ireland. The 1946 Act came into force in Wales on 1 April 1946 and produced a further 71 with 11 either completely or partially within Wales. This Act included roads within the County of London, but still excluded the City of London.
Trunk roads in Wales created by the Trunk Road Act 1936
Sources:Legislation.gov.uk, Trunk Roads Act 1936[6] Leslie V Watson, Trunk Roads Act 1936 and 1946[7] What Do They Know, Welsh Government: List of Welsh Government Roads and Classifications[8]
Trunk Roads in Wales created by the Trunk Road Act 1946
Sources:Legislation.gov.uk, Trunk Roads Act 1946[9] Leslie V Watson, Trunk Roads Act 1936 and 1946[7] What Do They Know, Welsh Government: List of Welsh Government Roads and Classifications[8]
Source: What Do They Know, Welsh Government: List of Welsh Government Roads and Classifications[8]
A review of roads was carried out in 1997–1998 by the Welsh Office, which was part of the Government of the United Kingdom. It reviewed the existing trunk road network and identified routes that were of national strategic importance. The factors for deciding which routes should be retained in the core (trunk) network included:
Providing links between main centres of population, industry, tourist areas and important communities.
Promoting safe, secure, predictable, and rapid movement of people and goods throughout Wales.
Providing access to major seaports, airports, rail and bus terminals.
Providing cross-border links to the English network
These factors were published in the Government's white paper "A New Deal for Transport" in July 1998.[11]
Under Welsh Parliamentary control
The two European routes in Wales (E30 in the south and E22 in the north) are also trunk roads
The National Assembly for Wales took responsibility for devolved powers on 1 July 1999,[12] 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.[13] 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,[14] and by September 2004,[14] they had decided to reduce the number of trunk road agencies from eight down to three.[14] The three new agencies were:
In March 2002, the Welsh Government developed their Trunk Road Forward Programme.[19] The programme listed plans for major improvements and new road schemes.[19] Following the 2004 review of the Welsh Government's transport policy in 2004,[19] they updated the list for major improvements and new road schemes.[19] In December 2008 the Trunk Road Forward Programme was again updated due to the pledges made in the One Walesthe Labour Party and Plaid Cymru.[19]
As of April 2019, out of a total of 34,850 miles (56,090km) of roads in Wales, 1,576 miles (2,536km) are trunk roads (including 135 miles (217km) of motorways and as of 2015 350 miles (560km) of dual carriageway).[1][2]
In 2023, the Welsh Government announced it was expecting more interventional schemes would be required in the future to tackle long-standing air quality issues. This could be possibly road pricing on some of Wales' trunk roads, like London's ULEZ. Although, a minister stated there are no current plans to introduce them.[20] Starting in March 2023, the Welsh Government were drafting a bill to expand their powers to implement road pricing, should they need it.[21][22]
Although part of the European route E30, the directional signs omit the European route numbers. It is mostly a 3-lane motorway apart from junctions 24 to 26 around Newport and from junction 38 around Port Talbot until the western terminus of the M4 at junction 49 at the Pont Abraham services, where it is a 2-lane motorway in each direction.
The M48 was previously part of the M4 motorway, until it was renamed when the Second Severn Crossing was built in 1996. It is a 2-lane motorway in each direction.
The A48(M) opened in 1977 originally as an ending for the M4. The M4 was subsequently extended from junction 29 in 1980, and this section of road was subsequently renumbered the A48(M). It is a 2-lane motorway in each direction.
The road runs south west (mid Wales) to north east Wales. It is mostly a single-carriageway road apart from a section between Queensferry and the M56 motorway where it is dual-carriageway road.
The A40 forms part of the Welsh Government's East to West network of trunk roads linking Abergavenny with Fishguard in Wales. The A40 is predominantly a single carriageway in Wales apart from a section between Carmarthen and St Clears. Forms part of the 6,050 kilometres (3,760 miles) European route E30 from Cork (Republic of Ireland) to Omsk (Russia).
The A470 is a north–south route running from Llandudno Junction and the A55 in the north to Cardiff on the south coast. It is generally a single-carriageway road north of Merthyr Tydfil and dual carriageway south of Merthyr Tydfil.
A4232 Trunk Road was opened in 1985 and was designed to provide a link between the Vale of Glamorgan and the west of Cardiff on the A48 with the M4 motorway. It is 5.47 kilometres (3.40 miles) in length. The remainder of the A4232 road is not trunked.
The A40 is an east to west route in mid Wales from Raglan (Newport–Worcester Trunk Road) and Llandovery. It is mostly single carriageway standard apart from the Brecon Bypass, which is dual carriageway.
The A40 (Brecon Bypass)
East of Abercynon–East of Dowlais Trunk Road[28] (A4060)
The A4060 is a mix of dual carriageway and single carriageway. It links the Cardiff–Glan Conwy Trunk Road (A470) to the south of Merthyr Tydfil, where it is a 3-lane single carriageway to the Neath–Abergavenny Trunk Road (A465) at Dowlais Top, where it is a dual carriageway.
Bangor–Chirk Trunk Road. Forms part of the London–Holyhead Trunk Road[29][30] (A5)
The A5 London to Holyhead road is a trunk road in Wales running from Bangor in the north west through to Chirk in the south east of the region. The A5 is predominantly a single carriageway in Wales.
Between the junction of the A55 and Ruabon in north Wales, the road is dual carriageway. The remainder of the road is single carriageway.
The A483 (Gresford Bypass)
Chester–Bangor Trunk Road, also known as the Holyhead–Chester Trunk Road and the North Wales Expressway.[32][33][34] It forms part of the European route E22. (A55)
The A55 trunk road is the main east–west route in North Wales. The road is some 129km (81 miles) in length, It is a dual carriageway and includes the Britannia Bridge and the A55 tunnels. West of Junction 11 (across Anglesey) is managed by UK Highways Ltd as part of a private finance initiative and east of Junction 35a (in England) is managed by Highways England. It forms part of the 5,320 kilometres (3,310 miles)European route E22 that links Ishim (Russia) with Holyhead
The road is a main east–west route in South Wales along with the M4 motorway. Large sections of the road are dual-carriageway, with the remainder being single-carriageway. The Welsh Government has promised that the dualling of the whole trunk road in Wales will be complete by 2025.
The trunk road is the main south–north route in eastern Wales.
The A4042, (Llantarnam Bypass)
Shrewsbury–Dolgellau Trunk Road[31] (also known as the Shropshire Boundary–Mallwyd Trunk Road)[38] (A458)
The road is an east–west route in mid Wales connecting the London–Holyhead Trunk Road (A5) in the east near Shrewsbury to the Cardiff–Glan Conwy Trunk Road (A470) in the west near Mallwyd. It is a single-carriageway road.
The road is a small north–south road linking the London – Fishguard Trunk Road (A40) at Haverfordwest to the port of Milford Haven. It is a single-carriageway road.
The A487 is a south–north roads running through the west Wales, linking Fishguard in Pembrokeshire with Bangor in north Wales. It is a single-carriageway road.
The A489 is an east–west route. It runs from Newtown to Machynlleth and is split into two distinct lengths. The southern section is 8.5km (5 miles) in length links the A483 road at Newtown to the A470 road at Caersws. The Northern section is 9km (5.5 miles) in length and links the A470 at Cemmaes Road to the A487 road at Machynlleth. The A470 and A489 are both mostly single-carriageway roads.
The A44 is an east–west route running from the A470 at Llangurrig to Aberystwyth. The road is entirely a single-carriage, linking the A483 road at Newtown to the A470 road at Caersws.
The east–west route from the junction of the London–Fishguard Trunk Road (A40) at St Clears to Pembroke Dock. In 2014, the St Clears to Red Roses improvement road was opened. Bypassing the communities of Llanddowror and Red Roses, this new road is a single carriageway with over half its length carrying three lanes.
The A477, (Llanddowror Bypass)
Source: What Do They Know, Welsh Government: List of Welsh Government Roads and Classifications[8]
The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely complete by 1980, though a non-motorway section around Briton Ferry bridge remained until 1993. On the opening of the Second Severn Crossing in 1996, the M4 was rerouted over it.
The A40 is a trunk road which runs between London and Goodwick (Fishguard), Wales, and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road (A40) in all legal documents and Acts. Much of its length within England has been superseded by motorways, such as the M40, and has lost its trunk road status, though it retains it west of Gloucester, including its length within Wales. It is approximately 260 miles (420 km) long. The eastern section from Denham, Buckinghamshire to Wheatley, Oxfordshire is better served by the M40 and its former function of linking London with Cheltenham and Gloucester has been taken by the M4, A419 and A417 via Swindon.
The A470 is a trunk road in Wales. It is the country's longest road at 186 miles (299 km) and links the capital Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. While previously one had to navigate the narrow roads of Llanidloes and Dolgellau, both these market towns are now bypassed due to extensive road modernisation. The 26 miles (42 km) from Cardiff Bay to Merthyr Tydfil are mainly dual carriageway, but most of the route from north of Merthyr to Llandudno is single carriageway.
A trunk road is a major highway with a specific legal classification in some jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom, Sweden and formerly Ireland. Trunk roads are planned and managed at the national-level, distinguishing them from non-trunk roads which are managed by local authorities. Trunk roads are important routes usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports and other places, which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic. Many trunk roads have segregated lanes in a dual carriageway, or are of motorway standard.
The A465 is a trunk road that runs from Bromyard in Herefordshire, England to Llandarcy near Swansea in south Wales. The western half in Wales is known officially as the Neath to Abergavenny Trunk Road, but the section from Abergavenny to the Vale of Neath is more commonly referred to as the Heads of the Valleys Road because it links the northern heads of the South Wales Valleys. Approximately following the southern boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder guide describes it as the unofficial border between rural and industrial South Wales. The A465 provides an alternative route between England and the counties in South West Wales and to the ferries to Ireland.
European route E30 is an A-Class European route from the port of Cork in Ireland in the west to the Russian city of Omsk, near the border with Kazakhstan in the east. For much of the Russian stretch, it follows the Trans-Siberian Highway and, east of the Ural Mountains, with AH6 of the Asian Highway Network, which continues to Busan, South Korea. The total length is 6,530 km (4,060 mi)—3,300 km (2,100 mi) from Cork to Moscow, and 3,230 km (2,010 mi) from Moscow to Omsk. The naming is by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
National Highways (NH), formerly the Highways Agency and later formerly Highways England, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England. It also sets highways standards used by all four UK administrations, through the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. Within England, it operates information services through the provision of on-road signage and its Traffic England website, provides traffic officers to deal with incidents on its network, and manages the delivery of improvement schemes to the network.
Transport in Wales is heavily influenced by the country's geography. Wales is predominantly hilly or mountainous, and the main settlements lie on the coasts of north and south Wales, while mid Wales and west Wales are lightly populated. The main transport corridors are east–west routes, many continuing eastwards into England.
The United Kingdom has a well developed and extensive network of roads totalling about 262,300 miles (422,100 km). Road distances are shown in miles or yards and UK speed limits are indicated in miles per hour (mph) or by the use of the national speed limit (NSL) symbol. Some vehicle categories have various lower maximum limits enforced by speed limiters. A unified numbering system is in place for Great Britain, whilst in Northern Ireland, there is no available explanation for the allocation of road numbers.
The M4 relief road, also known as M4 Corridor around Newport (M4CaN), was a proposed motorway, south of the city of Newport, South Wales, intended to relieve traffic congestion on the M4 motorway.
The A479, officially also known as the Glanusk Park (Crickhowell)—Llyswen Trunk Road, is a trunk road in Wales. It connects Crickhowell to Llyswen via the Rhiangoll valley and Talgarth, running through the Brecon Beacons National Park.
In Wales, a trunk road agent,, is a partnership between two or more county and/or county borough councils for the purposes of managing, maintaining, and improving the network of trunk roads in Wales in their respective areas on behalf of the Welsh Government.
The South Wales Trunk Road Agent 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.
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.
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