During Questions to Labour’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, the Welsh Conservatives, welcomed the benefits of the Heads of the Valley road but have called for clarity on the value for money the road will bring to Wales as a whole, when compared to opportunities such as the scrapped M4 relief road, which would have served four times as many vehicles.
Peter Fox MS raised concerns in the Senedd over the compensation paid to affected residents, the prolonged timeline, and the staggering estimated final price tag of £2 billion. He also highlighted the potential knock-on effect of this overspend on future infrastructure projects.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Minister for Transport, Peter Fox MS, said:
“While I am glad that the project is nearing completion and that the nightmare for many residents and businesses will soon be over, it has taken far too long, cost far too much, and it’s clear that important lessons need to be learned.
“With the M4 relief road originally estimated to cost nearly half the amount, there is a very real question of how good the value for money will be in comparison to the much-needed relief road. The Welsh public will rightly question whether this gargantuan expense was worth it.
“As the final bill is totalled up, I fear that the cost of this road, will put off any future infrastructure plans from the anti-motorist Welsh Labour Government. It is clear that the country needs a change in management and only the Welsh Conservatives stand ready to fix Wales.”
