Plans are approved and construction under way on a new road that will connect Cardiff with the east side of the city. The £57.3m project will see the development of a new dual carriageway between Roverway and Cardiff Bay (A4232 Butetown Tunnel), hoped to bring increased mobility as well as congestion relief for those in and around the Welsh capital.

Preparatory work has been completed over the last few weeks though construction was launched by Edwina Hart, Welsh Government Minister today. The Eastern Bay Link Road is expected to be completed by spring 2017 and hoped to be a long-term solution to ongoing traffic problems on the city’s busy Tyndall Street.

Amongst improving the transport infrastructure, and thus improving mobility and reducing journey times, the project is also expected to bring a significant economic boost to the city. Edwina Hart suggested that that the Eastern Bay Link Road development would create numerous jobs and apprenticeship opportunities over the next year. In fact, the total number of employment opportunities as a direct result of the build is predicted at in excess of 100. She added that, after completion, the new road would also support wider economic growth by better connecting surrounding regions with the capital and improving access to Central Cardiff Enterprise Zone.

The brand new dual carriageway will also integrate a pedestrian footway and cycle path across its entire length. The road will therefore not only benefit road users but also incentivise so-called green travel by encouraging carbon-free travel.

The road spells more good news for the region after Chancellor George Osborne announced the Severn Bridge tolls would be halved by 2018 in yesterday’s budget. Some 13 million vehicles pay for privilege of crossing the Severn Bridge every year and the move will, like the Eastern Bay Link Road, facilitate increased mobility in the country.

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