Calls for the dualling of the A40 between St. Clears and Haverfordwest have been rejected as an environmentally harmful waste of money by the Pembrokeshire branch of Friends of the Earth.
Responding to a report that the Pembrokeshire County Council cabinet would be discussing a motion to recommend the dualling of the A40 between Haverfordwest and St. Clears, the group stated that the estimated cost of building the road has now more than quadrupled to £324million from the original estimate of £70 million six years ago. The group also state that the new road would only reduce the journey time by about six minutes and could do more economic harm than good.
Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth spokesman, Gordon James, said: "The cost of building dual carriageways was recently estimated to be over £16 million per mile. This would put the cost of a dual carriageway between St. Clears and Haverfordwest at £324 million, over four times the original estimate of £70 million. And the end result of this massive expenditure would be a saving of just six minutes on the journey.
"There is also evidence that the proposed new road would be a double-edged sword causing economic harm as well as benefit. The Government's expert advisers have warned that good roads can harm the economy of an area by allowing its needs to be met more conveniently from outside the area.
"The experience of the A55 in North Wales supports this viewpoint. There have been complaints that motorists now speed through en route to Ireland by-passing the local shops, garages and tourist attractions. The area can also now be serviced quicker from outside, thus closing local distribution depots, while local people can travel out of the area easier to shop in towns like Liverpool and Chester." Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth also warn of the harmful environmental effect of the proposed dualling and challenge the claims made about safety improvements.
"New roads generate greater volumes of traffic and noise, and increase emissions of the pollutants and gases that harm health and cause climate change," said Mr. James. "As climate change is the greatest threat we face this century, all efforts should be made to reduce the emissions that are causing it. "A recent study also shows that levels of congestion on surrounding roads are likely to increase, creating more problems. The roads of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire would become busier, with further calls for new road building which would again increase traffic levels, pollution and noise.
"Official figures show that between 1991 and 2003, the number of both accidents and fatalities per mile were less on the A40 between St. Clears and Haverfordwest than on the dual carriageway from St. Clears to Carmarthen. "We support the Welsh Assembly Government's plan to upgrade the A40 with a number of improvements that should also specifically focus on road safety. This is a better economic and environmental option than building a costly and unnecessary dual carriageway."