With the potential loss of Pembrokeshire’s hospital on the cards there is an increased focus on improving the main route into the county.

Labour councillor Tom Tudor put forward a notice of motion calling for the dualling of the A40 between St. Clears and Haverfordwest.

He came to cabinet on Monday, July 2, to put forward his case.

He said that poor visability and access openings onto the road meant poor journey times and ‘drivers making risky overtaking manoeuvres.’

Clr. Tudor added: “With these factors in mind, and considering the recent health care announcements, we call on Pembrokeshire County Council to press the Welsh Government for early implementation of the dualling of the A40 from Haverfordwest to St. Clears with immediate effect.”

A report from officers stated that the council had been lobbying to dual the full length of the road since 1996 as it was ‘not considered fit for purpose.’

Some improvements in more recent years have seen some stretches being made a 2 + 1 layout with the Welsh Government announcing plans to improve the road at Llanddewi Velfrey to Penblewin will go ahead.

The Welsh Government last commissioned a study on improvements to the A40 in 2015, the ‘A40 St. Clears to Haverfordwest Study’, which acknowledged that dualling would provide significant benefits.

It would remove all oncoming collision accidents - saving around 150 accidents over 60 years - and there would be no direct side road access.

However, the study did not find dualling justified with a journey time saving of 11 minutes at a cost of more than £400 million.

Cabinet agreed a recommendation to support the motion in part by continuing with the Llanddewi Velfrey improvements, while ‘simultaneously support/lobby for feasibility and options studies into the improving the A40’ and will “continue to lobby for dualling in the long term and determine a programme for improving the A40, as a whole.”