A4232 road: Difference between revisions

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|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| [[Swansea]], [[Bristol]], [[London]] '''[[M4 Motorway|M4]]'''
| End of A4232 ([[Trunk road|T]]) at [[M4 Motorway|M4]] [[Junction (traffic)|Junction 33]]
''Exit only''
''Exit only''
| Capel Llanilltern<br/>''[[Cardiff West services]]''
| M4 J33<br/>Capel Llanilltern Interchange<br/>''[[Cardiff West services]]''
| Start of A4232 (T) at M4 Motorway|M4 Junction 33
| ''Start of A4232 (T)''
''Access only''


|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| ''No Access or Exit''
| ''No access or exit''
| [[St. Fagans]]<ref name="St Fagans slip road">{{cite web |url= http://new.wales.gov.uk/docrepos/40382/4038231141/403821125/Roads/newroadsphase3/ImprovingAccessCWL/2370419/Board_No6_2008.pdf?lang=en |publisher= National Assembly for Wales |title= Corridors A, B and C Options M4 Jn. 33, A4232(T) and Culverhouse Cross
| [[St. Fagans]]<ref name="St Fagans slip road">{{cite web |url= http://new.wales.gov.uk/docrepos/40382/4038231141/403821125/Roads/newroadsphase3/ImprovingAccessCWL/2370419/Board_No6_2008.pdf?lang=en |publisher= National Assembly for Wales |title= Corridors A, B and C Options M4 Jn. 33, A4232(T) and Culverhouse Cross
|accessdate=2008-08-06}}</ref>
|accessdate=2008-08-06}}</ref>
Line 65: Line 64:
|- align='center'
|- align='center'
⚫
| ''Start of A4232 (T)''
⚫
| [[A48 road|A48 West]] (Cardiff West)<br/>[[A48 road|A48 East]] (Vale of Glamorgan)<br/>[[A4050 road|A4050]] for [[Cardiff International Airport]]
⚫
Start of A4232 (T)
| [[Culverhouse Cross]]
| [[Culverhouse Cross]]
| A48 West (Cardiff West)<br/>A48 East (Vale of Glamorgan)<br/>A4050 for Cardiff International Airport
| A48 West (Cardiff West)<br/>A48 East (Vale of Glamorgan)<br/>A4050 for Cardiff International Airport
End of A4232 (T)
''A4232 (T) becomes A4232''


|- align='center' style="font-size:120%"
|- align='center' style="font-size:120%; border-top: black 2px solid;"
| colspan=3 | '''A4232'''
| colspan=3 | '''A4232'''
|- align="center" bgcolor="000000" style="color: white"
| Clockwise exits
| Junction / Interchange
| Anti-Clockwise exits

⚫
|- align='center'
⚫
| [[A48 road|A48 West]] (Cardiff West)<br/>[[A48 road|A48 East]] (Vale of Glamorgan)<br/>[[A4050 road|A4050]] for [[Cardiff International Airport]]
''A4232 becomes A4232 (T)''
| [[Culverhouse Cross]]
⚫
| ''Start of A4232''


|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| City Centre, B4267
| B4267, City Centre
| [[Leckwith]]
| [[Leckwith]]
| City Centre, B4267
| B4267, City Centre


|- align='center'
|- align='center'
Line 91: Line 99:


|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| ''No Exit''
| ''Start of A4232''
| Queen's Gate
| Queen's Gate roundabout
| City Centre, Docks
| A4234, City Centre, Docks
''Exit Only'''''
''End of A4232''

⚫
|- align='center'
⚫
| colspan=3 | Start / End of A4232
|}
|}


Line 115: Line 120:


|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| Lamby Way
| Lamby Way<br/>''End of A4232''
| Rover Way – Lamby Way<ref name="Rover Way roundabount">{{cite web |url= http://www.sabrain.com/index.cfm?UUID=A5812CBA-D56F-E4BD-57EF4019FC29A317 |publisher= SA Brain & Co Ltd |title= How to get to the Cardiff Brewery |accessdate=2008-08-06}}</ref><ref name="Lamby Way roundabount">{{cite web |url= http://www.cbtc2.co.uk/cbtc2/how_to_find_us.php |publisher= Cardiff Business Technology Centre 2|title= Directions & Map - From the East|accessdate=2008-08-06}}</ref>
| Rover Way – Lamby Way<ref name="Rover Way roundabount">{{cite web |url= http://www.sabrain.com/index.cfm?UUID=A5812CBA-D56F-E4BD-57EF4019FC29A317 |publisher= SA Brain & Co Ltd |title= How to get to the Cardiff Brewery |accessdate=2008-08-06}}</ref><ref name="Lamby Way roundabount">{{cite web |url= http://www.cbtc2.co.uk/cbtc2/how_to_find_us.php |publisher= Cardiff Business Technology Centre 2|title= Directions & Map - From the East|accessdate=2008-08-06}}</ref>
| ''Access only''
| ''Start of A4232''


|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| City centre ([[A4161 road|A4161]])
| [[A4161 road|A4161]], City centre
''Exit only''
''Exit only''
| Southern Way
| Southern Way
Line 126: Line 131:


|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| ''Access only''
| ''Start of A4232''
| Llanedeyrn
| Llanedeyrn
| A48, Newport, City Centre
| A48, Newport, City Centre<br/>''End of A4232''

|- align='center'
⚫
| colspan=3 | Start / End of A4232
|}
|}


Line 150: Line 152:


|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| A48
| '''[[A48 road|A48]]'''
| [[Pontprennau]] (A48)
| A48 [[Pontprennau]]
⚫
| ''Start of A4232''
| Pontprennau, Cardiff Gate, M4
|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| Pontprennau, Cardiff Gate Retail Park
| Pontprennau, Cardiff Gate Retail Park
|
| Roundabout
| Pontprennau, Cardiff Gate Retail Park
| Pontprennau, Cardiff Gate Retail Park


|- align='center'
|- align='center'
| ''Start of A4232''
| ''Start of A4232''
| M4 junction 30<br/>''[[Cardiff Gate services]]''
| M4 J30<br/>''[[Cardiff Gate services]]''
| ''End of A4232''
| [[Swansea]], [[Bristol]], [[London]] '''M4'''<br/>''End of A4232''

|- align='center'
| colspan=3 | Start / End of A4232
|}
|}


Revision as of 19:22, 10 September 2008

Template:UK road routebox

The A4232, which is known either as the Peripheral Distributor Road (PDR) (Welsh: Ffordd Ddosbarthu Ymylol) or the Cardiff Link Road (Welsh: Ffordd Gyswllt Caerdydd),[1][2][3] is a distributor road in Cardiff, the capital of Wales.

The first section of the PDR to be completed was Southern Way between Newport Road (A4161 road) and the Eastern Avenue (A48 road) in 1978.[4] When fully completed, the road will form part of the Cardiff ring-road system.[5] The PDR runs west, south and east of Cardiff, with the M4 between junction 30 and junction 33 completing the northern section. The PDR is dual carriageway for its entire length except for the East Moors Viaduct, which is a single carriageway.

The PDR has been constructed in separate link roads of between 1.61 km (1.0 mi) and 5.47 km (3.4 mi) around Cardiff and to date 22 kilometres (14 miles) including spurs have been opened to traffic, with plans for a further Template:Km to mi.[6] It has 4 large viaducts (Ely Viaduct, Grangetown Viaduct, Taff Viaduct and the East Moors Viaduct), 1 tunnel (Queen's Gate Tunnel) and 2 spur roads (Cogan Spur and Central Link Road). The road also has many smaller bridges over or under most of the interchanges on the road. The entire length of the road has clearway restrictions on it.

History

The road was conceived in the early 1970s and planning began in the late 1970s, by South Glamorgan County Council. The road at that stage was planned to be completed by 1995 and would relieve Ely, Grangetown, Butetown and East Moors of through traffic and as a fast link to the national motorway network via the M4 and A48(M).[7] The first major link road to be opened was the Ely Link Road in 1982.[1]

The former chairman of the South Glamorgan County Council environment committee, Councillor Paddy Kitson, called the road a "necklace of opportunity" due to its shape and also the opportunities for regeneration.[4] By 1 April 1996 the responsibility for the road was transferred from South Glamorgan County Council to the unitary authority of Cardiff Council. Much of the funding for the road had been grant aided from the European Community and the UK Government on the basis that it would improve the economic viability of the area and bring in new jobs and industry.[4] However, since the completion of the Butetown Link Road, funding for further developments have been at a stand still,[1] and to date 22 kilometres (14 miles) including spurs are open to traffic with plans for a further Template:Km to mi.[6]

Route

The PDR has 3 separate sections;

  • Capel Llanilltern Interchange (M4 J33) to Queen's Gate roundabout
  • Rover Way – Lamby Way roundabout to the Llanedeyrn Interchange (A48)
  • Pontprennau Interchange (A48) to the Pentwyn Interchange (M4 J30)

Capel Llanilltern Interchange (M4 J33) to Queen's Gate roundabout

A stone marking the inauguration of Queen's Gate (Butetown Link) at the Queen's Gate roundabout

This section from the M4 at junction 33 to the Queen's Gate roundabout is sometimes referred to as the Western Link Road,[8] is Template:Km to mi in length and includes the Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road, Ely Link Road, Grangetown Link Road and Butetown Link Road. For the majority of this section it is the boundary between the City of Cardiff to the east and the Vale of Glamorgan to the west.

Junctions

A4232 (T)
Clockwise exits Junction / Interchange Anti-Clockwise exits
Swansea, Bristol, London M4

Exit only

M4 J33
Capel Llanilltern Interchange
Cardiff West services 		Start of A4232 (T)
No access or exit St. Fagans[9] Museum of Welsh Life
Start of A4232 (T) Culverhouse Cross A48 West (Cardiff West)
A48 East (Vale of Glamorgan)
A4050 for Cardiff International Airport

A4232 (T) becomes A4232

A4232
Clockwise exits Junction / Interchange Anti-Clockwise exits
A48 West (Cardiff West)
A48 East (Vale of Glamorgan)
A4050 for Cardiff International Airport

A4232 becomes A4232 (T)

Culverhouse Cross Start of A4232
B4267, City Centre Leckwith B4267, City Centre
A4055, Barry, Penarth, Grangetown Ferry Road A4055, Barry, Penarth, Grangetown
No Exit Techniquest[10] Techniquest Museum

Exit Only

Start of A4232 Queen's Gate roundabout A4234, City Centre, Docks

End of A4232

Rover Way – Lamby Way roundabout to the Llanedeyrn Interchange (A48)

This section, partly opened in 1978,[4] from the Rover Way – Lamby Way roundabout to the Llanedeyrn Interchange on the A48 is oldest section of the PDR. It includes only the Southern Way Link Road, known locally as Southern Way, and is Template:Km to mi in length.

Junctions

A4232
Clockwise exits Junction / Interchange Anti-Clockwise exits
Lamby Way
End of A4232 		Rover Way – Lamby Way[11][12] Start of A4232
A4161, City centre

Exit only

Southern Way Access only
Start of A4232 Llanedeyrn A48, Newport, City Centre
End of A4232

Pontprennau Interchange (A48) to the Pentwyn Interchange (M4 J30)

This section the Pentwyn Link Road, from the Pontprennau Interchange on the A48 to the M4 at junction 30 is one of the newer sections of the PDR, having been opened in 1984, it is Template:Km to mi in length. The road between the Llanedeyrn Interchange to the Pontprennau Interchange is the A48 (Eastern Avenue), it too is a dual carriageway and is a concurrent road with the PDR, there are no plans to renumber this section of the A48.

Junctions

A4232
Clockwise exits Junction / Interchange Anti-Clockwise exits
A48 A48 Pontprennau Start of A4232
Pontprennau, Cardiff Gate Retail Park Pontprennau, Cardiff Gate Retail Park
Start of A4232 M4 J30
Cardiff Gate services 		Swansea, Bristol, London M4
End of A4232

Link roads

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

A map of all the link roads and spur roads can be seen by clicking Map of all coordinates opposite

The each section of the road was completed in separate link roads.

Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road

Ely Viaduct

The GB£14.5 million Capel Llanillterne – Culverhouse Cross Link Road between the Capel Llanilltern Interchange (51°30′23″N 3°18′38″W / 51.506481°N 3.310425°W / 51.506481; -3.310425 (Capel Llanilltern Interchange (M4 J33))) and the Culverhouse Cross Interchange (51°27′59″N 3°16′16″W / 51.466350°N 3.271110°W / 51.466350; -3.271110 (Culverhouse Cross Interchange)) was opened in 1985.[6] It was designed to provide a by-pass for traffic from the M4 to the Vale of Glamorgan.[6] It is 5.47 km (3.4 mi) in length and includes the Ely Viaduct close to Michaelston-super-Ely. The only part of the PDR which is actually a trunk road is the Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road and it is maintained by the South Wales Trunk Road Agency (SWTRA) on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG).[13][14] The remainder of the PDR is a primary route, which is maintained by Cardiff Council.

Ely Viaduct

The Ely Viaduct crosses over the River Ely and also the main South Wales railway line.

The viaduct is a Template:Ft to m twin-box girder and has central span of Template:Ft to m and Template:Ft to m side spans, constructed by the balanced cantilever method. It was constructed in segments each weighing between 54 tons for plain segments to 93 tons for the main segments.[15]

Ely Link Road

The Ely Link Road (Welsh: Ffordd Gyswllt Trelái) between the Culverhouse Cross Interchange (51°27′57″N 3°16′12″W / 51.465840°N 3.269895°W / 51.465840; -3.269895 (Culverhouse Cross Interchange)) and the Leckwith Interchange (51°28′14″N 3°12′42″W / 51.470641°N 3.211762°W / 51.470641; -3.211762 (Leckwith Interchange)), sometimes referred to as the Leckwith Road Interchange. It is 4.83 km (3.0 mi) in length and was opened in 1982, therefore it was the first link road to be built.[16] It was designed to relieve Ely of through traffic and partly cuts into Leckwith Hill.[6]

Grangetown Link Road

The 2.89 km (1.8 mi) Grangetown Link Road (Welsh: Ffordd Gyswllt Grangetown) between the Leckwith Interchange (51°28′13″N 3°12′40″W / 51.470159°N 3.211239°W / 51.470159; -3.211239 (Leckwith Interchange)) and the Ferry Road Interchange (51°27′13″N 3°11′09″W / 51.453510°N 3.185760°W / 51.453510; -3.185760 (Ferry Road Interchange)) was opened on 3 May, 1988.[17] It includes the Grangetown Viaduct.

Grangetown Viaduct

Grangetown Viaduct

The Grangetown Viaduct is approximately 1 km (0.62 mi) in length and is said to be the longest glued segmental bridge in the United Kingdom.[18] It has 13 spans of Template:M to ft with 2 end spans of Template:M to ft and Template:M to ft.[19]

The viaduct was designed by Robert Benaim and Associates, now called Benaim UK Ltd.[20]

Butetown Link Road

The Template:Km to mi Butetown Link Road (Welsh: Ffordd Gyswllt Butetown) between the Ferry Road Interchange (51°27′13″N 3°11′03″W / 51.453585°N 3.184044°W / 51.453585; -3.184044 (Ferry Road Interchange)) and the Queen's Gate Roundabout (51°28′04″N 3°09′27″W / 51.467873°N 3.157455°W / 51.467873; -3.157455 (Queen's Gate Roundabout)) was opened on 27 March, 1995 by Neil Kinnock.[17] Construction of the link road commenced on the 15 October, 1993 and it was the last link road to be built. It includes the Taff Viaduct, also known as the Butetown Link Road Bridge, and the Queen's Gate Tunnel, which is also known simply as the Butetown Tunnel.

In 1987 South Glamorgan County Council had intended to build a viaduct cross the River Taff and then go onto an elevated section through Butetown "on stilts".[7] But the newly formed Cardiff Bay Development Corporation along with local residents objected to the scheme that they said would cut through Butetown and split the community, creating an unnecessary physical barrier between the two areas to the north and south of the link road. By 1988 South Glamorgan County Council had agreed to change the design of the link road, despite having already spent 6 years of design work on the link road meant that a tunnel had to built instead.[21] The cost of the Butetown Link Road was estimated to cost £35 million, but this had risen to £45M in 1988, before the design change.[22]

The contract to build the Butetown Link Road was eventually won by a local company Davies Middleton & Davies Ltd in a joint venture with an Italian contractor, Cogefar-Impresit UK Ltd. The bid of £60 million undercut all other bids by £10 million,[23] Davies Middleton & Davies Ltd have subsequently gone into administrative receivership.

Taff Viaduct

File:A4232 Taff Viaduct.jpg
Taff Viaduct

Construction of the Template:M to ft viaduct includes a dual-carriageway roadway plus a foot and cycle path. South Glamorgan County Council was the local authority in charge of the project at the time and construction of the viaduct began in March, 1991. The Taff Viaduct crosses the River Taff at Cardiff Bay.

Sculpture on the Taff Viaduct

The viaduct was constructed using precast concrete segments, which is widely used in the construction industry for medium to long span viaducts. Segments were made in a casting yard near the site and then transported for final assembly of the viaduct.[24]

South Glamorgan County Council also commissioned a sculpture by Kevin Atherton for the foot and cycle path on a specially constructed viewing platform. The work was to mark the completion of the Taff Viaduct so that the sculpture should be visible for the benefit of pedestrians, cyclist and motorists alike.[25]

Queen's Gate Tunnel

The west portals of the Queen's Gate Tunnel

The Queen's Gate Tunnel (Welsh: Twnnel Porth y Frenhines) is underneath southern Butetown and follows a line underneath the Wales Millennium Centre. The Template:M to ft[26] twin tunnel was constructed using the cut and cover method of construction, which involves digging a trench for the tunnel and then roofing it over. The tunnel was constructed using reinforced concrete and a central wall separates the two sets of traffic.[21]

South Glamorgan County Council originally awarded the contract for the management, installation, testing and commissioning of all electrical and mechanical services for the tunnel, and the water pumping stations to EI·WHS Ltd. They still maintain the tunnel on behalf of Cardiff Council.[26]

Eastern Bay Link Road

See Future developments below for further details.

It is envisaged that Eastern Bay Link Road (Welsh: Ffordd Gyswllt Ddwyreiniol y Bae) will run from the Queen's Gate Roundabout to the Rover Way – Lamby Way Roundabout on the Southern Way Link Road, although at present only the first phase between Queen's Gate Roundabout (51°28′05″N 3°09′22″W / 51.468090°N 3.156193°W / 51.468090; -3.156193 (Queen's Gate Roundabout)) and Ocean Way Interchange (51°28′20″N 3°08′39″W / 51.472328°N 3.144107°W / 51.472328; -3.144107 (Ocean Way Interchange)) is at the planning stage.

The link road was previously known as the East Moors Link Road – Phase 1 and 3, but it also included the East Moors Viaduct, which was originally known as the East Moors Link Road – Phase 2.[4] Later it became known as the Cardiff Bay Link Road until it was eventually renamed the Eastern Bay Link Road.[7]

Southern Way Link Road

The Southern Way Link Road,[27] generally known simply as Southern Way, was built in two parts; the first section of Southern Way to be completed was between Newport Road (A4161 road) and the Eastern Avenue (A48 road) in 1978.[4] The final section of the link road was built between Newport Road and the Rover Way – Lamby Way roundabout and was opened in 1984 at a cost of £9 million.[4] In 1987 it was envisaged that the present single-carriage was would be "twinned" as a dual-carriageway, the same as the rest of the PDR.[7] It now includes the East Moors Viaduct, which is also known as the Southern Way Flyover. The 2.25 km (1.4 mi) link road now runs from the Rover Way – Lamby Way Roundabout (51°29′35″N 3°08′02″W / 51.493127°N 3.133759°W / 51.493127; -3.133759 (Rover Way – Lamby Way Roundabout)) to the Llanedeyrn Interchange (51°30′26″N 3°08′45″W / 51.507202°N 3.145853°W / 51.507202; -3.145853 (Llanedeyrn Interchange)) on the A48.

East Moors Viaduct

East Moors Viaduct

The East Moors Viaduct, which is also known as the Southern Way Flyover, was also designed by Robert Benaim and Associates who won the ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) Project Award and also a Concrete Society Commendation, both in 1985 for work on the viaduct.[28][29] The viaduct was constructed by concrete box girder deck of segmental construction.[28]

The East Moors Viaduct was originally known as the East Moors Link Road – Phase 2,[4] now it is part of the Southern Way Link Road.

Pentwyn Link Road

Pentwyn Link Road approaching the Pontprennau roundabout

The Pentwyn Link Road (Welsh: Ffordd Gyswllt Pentwyn), which is also known as the North Pentwyn Link Road, runs from the Pontrennau Interchange (51°31′43″N 3°07′49″W / 51.528660°N 3.130240°W / 51.528660; -3.130240 (Pontrennau Interchange)) on the A48 and the Pentwyn Interchange (51°32′29″N 3°07′43″W / 51.541525°N 3.128749°W / 51.541525; -3.128749 (Pentwyn Interchange (M4 J30))) on the M4 (junction 30). It is 1.61 km (1.0 mi) in length and was opened on 20 June, 1994.[17] It provides a link between the Eastern Avenue (A48) and the M4 so that westbound traffic from the east of the city can get onto the M4 without having to go through the city, via the A48 and A470. In addition it also provides access to the community of Pontprennau to the national road network. This link was financed by private developers as part of a large scale housing development at Pontprennau.[30]

Spur roads

Cogan Spur (A4055)

The A4055 Cogan Viaduct
Main article: A4055 road

The Cogan Spur, which is also known as the Cogan Link,[31] from the Ferry Road Interchange (51°27′13″N 3°11′06″W / 51.453519°N 3.184876°W / 51.453519; -3.184876 (Ferry Road Interchange)) to Barons Court Junction (51°26′52″N 3°11′23″W / 51.447910°N 3.189787°W / 51.447910; -3.189787 (Barons Court Junction)) on the A4160 was opened in 1988.[16] It is only 0.8 km (0.5 mi), but it is an important link to provide access to the PDR from Penarth and the southern Vale of Glamorgan. It also bypasses the busy Penarth Road (A4160) for traffic going in and out of Cardiff city centre.

The most recent development, which began at the end of 2006 and into 2007 was the widening of the road between the Cogan Viaduct and the Ferry Road Interchange to a 3-lane dual-carriageway. A new junction was also built for the Cardiff International Sports Village directly from Cogan Spur; also the Barons Court roundabout was replaced by a signal controlled crossroad. The main contractor for this project was Laing O'Rourke Civil Engineering.[32][31]

Cogan Viaduct

The Cogan Viaduct is the most important element of the Cogan Spur as it crosses the River Ely with a central span of 95 metres (312 ft). In total it has 6 spans; Template:M to ft, Template:M to ft, 60 m, 60m, 95 m and 60 m.[19] It is made from a multi-span glued segmental structure of rectangular box sections. In all over 300 sections were used to construct the viaduct, each weighing from 43 to 117 tonnes.[24][33] The Cogan Viaduct was again designed by Robert Benaim and Associates, who won a Concrete Society Commendation in 1989 for the design.[29]

Central Link Road (A4234)

A4234 at the junction of Adam Street
Main article: A4234 road

The £8.5 million Central Link between the Queen's Gate Roundabout (51°28′06″N 3°09′27″W / 51.468399°N 3.157366°W / 51.468399; -3.157366 (Queen's Gate Roundabout)) and the junction on Adam Street (51°28′46″N 3°10′03″W / 51.479557°N 3.167631°W / 51.479557; -3.167631 (Adam Street Junction)) on the A4160 was opened on 16 February 1989.[4][17] When it was first opened it only linked Cardiff city centre with Cardiff Bay. It was not until the Butetown Link was opened on 27 March, 1995 that this road started to be used as a link to the motorway network, Penarth and the Vale of Glamorgan. It will not be until the Eastern Bay Link is built, when traffic from the city centre will use it to travel east, that it will be fully used. The length of the A4234 is just 1.45 km (0.9 miles) and is entirely a two lane dual carriageway with clearway restrictions.

Ely Spur

The Ely Spur was planned to run from a new interchange on the Ely Link Road to Ely Bridge on the A48. It was only 1.2 km (0.75 mi) in length, but it would have reduced through traffic in the residential area of Ely, namely on Cowbridge Road West traveling to and from the A48. But it has now been announced that this proposal has now been officially abandoned.[34]

Cardiff Airport Link Road

See Future developments below.

Services

Cardiff West services.

The PDR has two service stations for motorists, one at Cardiff West on the Capel Llanilltern Interchange and the other at Cardiff Gate on the Pentwyn Interchange. The services at Cardiff West includes Esso petrol, a Travelodge, Burger King, Costa Coffee and W H Smith,[35] while the services at Cardiff Gate includes petrol, Burger King, W H Smith and also Coffee Primo.[36]

Traffic Wales is the WAG's traffic information service, it is a partnership between the WAG and consultants Atkins. The Traffic Wales website has five live traffic webcams on the Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road (Trunk Road) and the images are updated every 5 minutes. Traffic Wales also operates a Traffic Information Hotline, motorists can use this telephone service by dialling an 0845 number, which gives up to date traffic information and travel advice.

Future developments

Template:Future road

Eastern Bay Link Road – Phase 1

The proposed Eastern Bay Link Road, between the Butetown Link Road and the Southern Way Link Road is still on hold due to funding problems. This link road, along with other schemes have been subject to many planning proposals since the last link road (the Butetown Link Road) was finished in 1995, namely a local transport plan (Local Transport Plan 2000 – 2016) in August 2000, a green paper (A Change of Gear) in December 2002 and a white paper (Keeping Cardiff Moving) in May 2003.[6][37] The cost of the link road could be GB£162 million and it could be paid for by congestion charging,[38] although a public-private partnership is also possible.[37] The original route of the link road had been challenged by both Friends of the Earth Cymru,[39] and also the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), who had both lodged formal objections against the link road.[40] However, the current proposal from Cardiff Council of 31 October 2006 is to complete the first phase of the road, approximately 1 km (0.6 mi) in length, from the Butetown Link Road to Ocean Way Interchange. The new route would be a different route from the earlier proposal and would avoid any encroachment into the nature conservation area, which Friends of the Earth and the RSPB had objected to. Therefore the new route of the link road should ensure that there are no objections.[41][34]

Cardiff Airport Link Road

The A4050 road, the current main road from Cardiff to Cardiff International Airport

The present road from junction 33 of the M4 motorway to Cardiff International Airport involves using the PDR along the Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road then transferring to the A4050 road at the Culverhouse Cross Interchange and then going onto the A4226 road north of Barry to the airport. The A4050 is also a busy commuter road for traffic from Barry to the M4 motorway and Cardiff, also the Culverhouse Cross Interchange is now very congested. It is for this reason that the Cardiff Airport Link Road has been proposed.

The Cardiff Airport Link Road has also had similar funding problems to the Eastern Bay Link Road, and this too may also be funded by a Public-Private Partnership.

The scheme has gone through many studies and the last conducted by the WAG in August 2003 suggested 4 possible long term routes to link the airport with the motorway network.

  • Scheme 1: Link road A4232 – A48

This scheme involves a new link road to the north of the Culverhouse Cross Interchange on the Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road (PDR) to the A48, and then improved access to the airport. The estimated cost of this scheme would be £58 million, including the widening of the PDR.[42]

  • Scheme 2: Link road A4232 – A48 – A4050

This scheme involves a new link road to the north of the Culverhouse Cross Interchange on the Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road to the A48 and onto the A4050, and again improved access to the airport. The estimated cost of this scheme would be £66m, including the widening of the PDR.[42]

  • Scheme 3: Link road A4232 – A4226

This scheme involves a new major highway route linking the Ely Link Road (PDR), south of the Culverhouse Cross Interchange, to the A4226 north of Barry. The estimated cost of this scheme would be £96m, including the widening of the PDR.[42]

  • Scheme 4: Road improvement M4 (junction 34) – A48 (Sycamore Cross)

This scheme involves an improved route between the M4 motorway at junction 34 to the A48 at Sycamore Cross. The estimated cost of this scheme would be £37m.[42] This scheme does not involve any link with the PDR, but is instead a direct route from the M4.

In 2004 the WAG announced that the Cardiff Airport Link Road had been added to Phase 3 of the Trunk Road Forward Programme, which means that it would be unlikely to start before April 2010.[43]

In the short term it was decided to trunk existing roads before 2010. There was a public local inquiry into the trunking of the A48 from Culverhouse Cross to Sycamore Cross, the A4226 from Sycamore Cross to Waycock Cross (Airport Roundabout) and the Port Road (Airport Roundabout) between 9 May, 2006 and 12 May, 2006. The report dated February 2007 advised that the Minister at the WAG had decided not to trunk the route after objections to the scheme.[44]

Since February 2007 the WAG have held public exhibitions in October, November and December 2007 to discuss the possible options for the link road.[45] The final outcome of this process may be that the Cardiff Airport Link Road does not become a spur road off of the PDR (Schemes 1 to 3) at all and links Cardiff International Airport to the M4 directly instead (Scheme 4).

Issues affecting the Peripheral Distributor Road

Traffic congestion due to new developments

There has been much discussion about traffic congestion around the PDR. Since the western link roads have been built, a number of major developments have been built or are in construction, such as the Cardiff Bay Retail Park, IKEA, Celtic Gateway, and Cardiff International Sports Village. The Cardiff International Sports Village includes the Cardiff International Pool, Morrisons and Toys "R" Us stores and these have all generated additional traffic at the Ferry Road Interchange. In addition, the soon to be completed new Cardiff City stadium, the new Cardiff International Sports Stadium and the Capital Retail Park, which includes new stores for Asda and Marks & Spencer, will significantly increase traffic on the Leckwith Interchange.[8] At the Culverhouse Cross Interchange, older developments such as the Brooklands Retail Park, Wenvoe Retail Park and Valegate Retail Park, including Tesco and Marks & Spencer have also significantly increased congestion along with commuter traffic from the Vale of Glamorgan. From 1989 to 1997 there had been an increase in traffic of 78% and a further increase of 35% by 2016 is predicted by the Assembly.[42] The question put by Sean Wilcox of the Western Mail is, has the "Link (road) become overburdened? And if so, what are the implications?"[8]

The Vale of Glamorgan Council also expressed reservations about the new developments of the Cardiff International Sports Village and the new Cardiff City stadium, which includes the Capital Retail Park. On 18 October, 2006, the council requested that the WAG assess the existing traffic conditions and future growth in traffic on the network.[46]

The "missing link" (Eastern Bay Link Road)

The main road link from the east into Cardiff Bay remains the M4 motorway leading onto the A48 and then short stretch of along the Southern Way Link road (PDR) and then onto Rover Way. Locally Rover Way is known as "scrap alley", because it passes a sewerage treatment plant, a scrap metal business and the city's landfill site.[47] It has been suggested that if the eastern part (Eastern Bay Link Road) of the Peripheral Distributor Road had been built first, they (South Glamorgan County Council, now Cardiff Council) would simply never have got round to building the western link (Capel Llanilltern - Culverhouse Cross Link, Ely Link, Grangetown Link and Butetown Link roads). Nevertheless the so called "missing link" (Eastern Bay Link Road) between Cardiff Bay and the Southern Way Link poses a threat to the continued development of Cardiff Bay, if the link road is not completed.[47]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Keeping Cardiff Moving". Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  2. ^ "Transportation Cardiff Link road". Vale of Glamorgan Council. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  3. ^ "Course Fishing Venues in Vale of Glamorgan Wales". David Wells ivegonefishing.co.uk/. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i South Wales Echo, "Opening up southern Cardiff – Value of PDR", Wednesday May 22, 1985, Page 15
  5. ^ "Ring Roads". Paul Berry. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Local Transport Plan 2000 – 2016". Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  7. ^ a b c d South Wales Echo, "A direct route on stilts to the Bay", Wednesday June 17 1987, Page 14
  8. ^ a b c "Development is putting a strain on distributor road...and on commuters". icWales. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
  9. ^ "Corridors A, B and C Options M4 Jn. 33, A4232(T) and Culverhouse Cross" (PDF). National Assembly for Wales. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  10. ^ "Directions to BITC in Cardiff". Business in the Community (www.bitc.org.uk). Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  11. ^ "How to get to the Cardiff Brewery". SA Brain & Co Ltd. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  12. ^ "Directions & Map - From the East". Cardiff Business Technology Centre 2. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  13. ^ "The A4232 Trunk Road (Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff)". National Assembly for Wales. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  14. ^ "The Road Network managed by the Agency". South Wales Trunk Road Agency. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  15. ^ "Post-Tensioned Segmental Construction" (PDF). The Aberdeen Group. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  16. ^ a b "Cardiff Timeline". cardiffians.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  17. ^ a b c d "Cardiff Timeline". Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  18. ^ "Bridge Management: Inspection, Maintenance, Assessment and Repair Papers by Keith Harding, G.A.R. Parke & M.J. Ryall". books.google.com. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  19. ^ a b "Structural Assessment: The Role of Large and Full-Scale Testing By K. S. Virdi". books.google.com. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  20. ^ "Expert Systems for the Design of Prestressed Concrete - Complete". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  21. ^ a b South Wales Echo, "Delay to link road will be at least one year", Tuesday February 16 1988, Page 5 Cite error: The named reference "Tunnel" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  22. ^ South Wales Echo, "A road that lost its way?", Wednesday March 29 1989, Page 12
  23. ^ "Retaining a major share of the home market". Reed Business Information Limited. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  24. ^ a b "Infrastructure". MJ Civil Engineering. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  25. ^ "A Private View". CBAT, now called Public Art Wales. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  26. ^ a b "Butetown Tunnel". EIWHS Ltd. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  27. ^ "Report of the Chief Regulatory Services Officer Page 21, reference to "Southern Way Link"" (PDF). City and County of Cardiff. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  28. ^ a b "Bridge Deck Behaviour by Edmund C. Hambly". books.google.com. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  29. ^ a b "Awards". Benaim (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  30. ^ "M4 in Wales. Castleton to Coryton (J29 to J32) – Interchanges". The Motorway Highway Trust. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  31. ^ a b "Construction starts at Sports Village". Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
  32. ^ "Sports Village Roads Works Plan Revealed". redOrbit.com. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
  33. ^ "Structural Integrity Assessment By Peter Stanley". books.google.com. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  34. ^ a b "Cardiff Local Development Plan 2006-2021- Preferred Strategy Report paragraph 6.24". Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  35. ^ "Cardiff West". Moto. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  36. ^ "Cardiff Gate". Welcome Break. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  37. ^ a b "Cardiff Transportation Partnership". Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2008-03-08. Cite error: The named reference "Partnership" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  38. ^ "Trying to squeeze us out of rush-hour car seats". icWales. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  39. ^ "Transport Campaigners Welcome Much Needed Shift in Assembly Funding Priorities". Friends of the Earth. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  40. ^ "Eastern Bay Link, Cardiff". Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  41. ^ "Delivering the Deliverable". Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  42. ^ a b c d e "The A48/A4232 Culverhouse Cross and Airport Access Study "The Way Forward"" (PDF). Welsh Assembly Government. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  43. ^ "Transport Wales 2004 Supplement" (PDF). Welsh Assembly Government. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  44. ^ "Trunking of the A48 & A4226" (PDF). Welsh Assembly Government. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  45. ^ "Improving Access to Cardiff International Airport". Welsh Assembly Government. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  46. ^ "North and West Cardiff – Area Transport Study". Vale of Glamorgan Council. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  47. ^ a b "Cardiff Bay looks great - if only the access was better". icWales. Retrieved 2008-03-08.

References

  • Cardiff & Newport A-Z Street Atlas 2007 Edition

See also

Media related to A4232 road (Wales) at Wikimedia Commons

External links

Webcams on the Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road

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