Cardiff link road A4232 to get 50mph limit from next year in bid to cut air pollution

PART of the A4232 link road in Cardiff will get a 50mph speed limit from next year in a bid to cut air pollution.

The speed limit will run from Culverhouse Cross to the Queen’s Gate Roundabout in Cardiff Bay.

Reducing speeds on the road should cut air pollution, as experts say driving more slowly is more efficient and reduces emissions of harmful air pollutants and carbon dioxide.

Cardiff council is including the speed limit in its wide-ranging clean air plan to improve the air quality across the city and cut nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and other pollutants.

Councillor Caro Wild, cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, said: “We have a proposal for the reduction of the speed limit to 50mph on the A4232 from Culverhouse Cross to the Queen’s Gate Roundabout in Cardiff Bay.

“The speed limit will be enforced by average speed cameras. The scheme has been developed already and we will seek funding for this from the Welsh Government in the next round of grant bids.

“If funding is obtained, the scheme would be delivered in the 2022–23 financial year.”

He was responding to a question from Cllr Sean Driscoll during a full council meeting on Thursday, June 24. Cllr Driscoll had asked why the 50mph limit wasn’t introduced at the same time as the council closed Castle Street last year.

He said: “This is a measure that could have been easily implemented at little cost in a short time. As a well known supermarket chain says: every little helps. I’m wondering why you haven’t brought it forward sooner?”

Castle Street took priority due legal requirements to cut nitrogen dioxide levels on the city centre road, which were often in breach of the legal limit of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. The council has recently decided to reopen the road to private cars, but with fewer lanes.

Cllr Wild said: “In the Clean Air action plan, there are 101 different things we could do. But the focus for us had to be on Castle Street as that’s where the legal directive was, so that had to be the priority first and foremost.

“But we’re getting round to the A4232 as quickly as we can and it shouldn’t be too long now.”

A 50mph limit was also recently introduced on part of the M4 passing Newport. Since March this year, cameras have enforced the new limit between junction 24 and junction 28. The Welsh Government is hoping the limit will cut air pollution, a major issue in parts of Newport.