Traffic Wales not told about 'abnormal' load

The Government department responsible for ensuring traffic runs smoothly in Wales was not told about the abnormal wind turbine loads being transported through Montgomeryshire last month, it has emerged.

Newtown faced even more traffic chaos when the large lorries carrying giant turbines passed through Newtown at peak time one morning last month and now the First Minister has admitted to Montgomeryshire AM Russell George that the Government itself did not tell its own traffic team about the movements.

The information was obtained from a letter sent to Mr George by the First Minister, who wrote to the AM following a question he raised during an Assembly Plenary session. Mr Jones stated that Traffic Wales were not advised because for the most part, the AILs were travelling at ‘typical road speeds’ and that they ‘did not cause congestion of a level for Traffic Wales to be informed’.

However, the First Minister conceded that due to the level of concern, the Government would arrange for any future movements of AILs to be publicised on the Traffic Wales website.

Commenting, Mr George said: “I am absolutely amazed that the Government did not inform Traffic Wales of the movement of these abnormal loads. Traffic Wales is the traffic information and management arm of the Government and it has a fundamental responsibility to provide timely and accurate information to motorists about any incident or potential problem on the Welsh trunk road network.

“I refute the First Minister’s comments that these loads did not cause congestion. At least one of these loads went past Welshpool and through Newtown and it did cause significant traffic congestion at a number of points along the route. While I welcome the First Minister’s future commitment, the way Traffic Wales was kept in the dark, I believe, undermined the safety of the road network in Powys and the Government were culpable for doing that.”