Janet Finch-Saunders AM
Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the impact of winter storms on the road networks?
Cabinet Secretary - Ken Skates AM
Yes. Over the winter period, several sections of trunk road network had temporary restrictions placed on them, or were closed due to high winds or flooding. Heavy snowfall also brought disruption to a number of routes during the weekend of 9 and 10 December, but every effort was made to respond to such incidents quickly.
Janet Finch-Saunders AM
Cabinet Secretary, you'll be aware that congestion costs Welsh drivers £1.5 billion a year. INRIX, the leading international provider of real-time traffic information, has calculated the economic cost of congestion at an average of £939 per driver per year. Added to that, a number of crashes, caused by the winter weather, have seen closures and delays on the A5, A483 and A55 last week. As regards traffic flow on the A55 in north Wales, and the recent network resilience Welsh transport appraisal guidance stage 1 report, when will you be implementing the identified low-risk and quick wins that are mentioned within that report?
Cabinet Secretary - Ken Skates AM
The A55 resilience study, which I commissioned, identifies many quick wins that can be delivered in the coming financial year. It is my intention to roll out those quick wins as soon as possible. We believe that most of them can be delivered in the space of six months. But, I have to say that, last week—as I live very close to the area where the A5/A483 was closed temporarily—it was essential that we closed that particular point on the road network. It was over a viaduct. It was absolutely essential that we didn't allow high-sided vehicles across that road. They could barely stand up in the wind that was in that particular area. We were already receiving reports on the trunk road network of trailers being blown over. So, it was absolutely imperative that we didn't put any lives at risk. I would agree that congestion causes the Welsh economy and the taxpayer too much, and that's why I commissioned the A55 resilience study. It is why we are moving forward with the pinch point programme across Wales and with considerable investment in bypasses around towns and other communities, and why we are committed to upgrading infrastructure the length and breadth of the country.