A MAJOR road has been likened to a smart motorway due to its lack of hard shoulders and lay-bys, after the A465 was said to have placed motorists in danger in the event of a breakdown.

There aren’t any smart motorways in Wales, however the M4 becomes one on the other side of the Prince of Wales Bridge, and motorists leaving the M50 and heading north towards the M6 will also encounter them.

Now, MS for Monmouth, Peter Fox, has called on the Welsh Government to take action to address the Heads of the Valleys Road in Monmouthshire.

“This is an issue that I am being made aware of quite often, and I am told it is a daily occurrence by residents. Nobody can help when they break down, but there should be, as often as possible, somewhere for them to pull over,” he said in the Senedd.

“Whilst the new road is impressive, it is not effective if a broken down car causes a lane to be shut, and the knock on effects this will have”

“We have seen in England the issues with smart motorways, and the corresponding concerns around them. The section of road between Brynmawr and Gilwern has effectively become one of these roads.”

Mr Fox acknowledged the road had been improved and appreciated the completion of dualling works across the road’s entirety in Wales after 23 years. But he said the Welsh Government had not considered the impact of losing the hard shoulder through Monmouthshire.

“I would have hoped the Welsh Government considered this when designing this section of the road, but unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case,” he continued.

“It is never too late to make changes and improvements, and I have asked the Welsh Government to look at how safety on the road could be progressed, and how the issue of stranded vehicles be mitigated.”