Newport City Centre Road Plans Spark Congestion Fears 2026

Key Points

• There have been concerns raised about traffic changes being considered in Newport city center, including a possible cutting down of the slip road towards the Kingsway.
• The report published by Newport City Council on their city center’s 15-year Placemaking Plan contains a map showing that the slip road from the Old Green roundabout to the Kingsway and Riverfront Theatre might be cut to one traffic lane. The same map also indicates that there will be a planned two-way segregated cycle lane as a replacement for one traffic lane of the slip road.
• The council refers to this area as the “Riverfront and Steel Wave Public Realm”. Newport Conservatives group’s leader, Councillor Matthew Evans MBE, described the plans as “absolutely outrageous” and warned that traffic could end up backing up to the Old Green roundabout. Conservative Councillor David Fouweather added that the plans, together with proposed changes to the Old Green roundabout, would cause “mass tailbacks” and discourage people from visiting the shops in Newport.
• This comes after previously made changes on the Queensway that included the installation of priority bus signals and two pedestrian crossings, whose implementation, according to critics, led to traffic congestion during peak times. Transport for Wales had drawn plans to demolish and replace the Old Green roundabout, according to South Wales Argus; Newport City Council had no objections to these plans.
• The language used by the council in their report on the Riverfront and Steel Wave Public Realm area was found to be “vaguely worded”; however, the plan itself included explicit plans about the slip road modifications. There were no statements from either Newport City Council or Transport for Wales regarding the final design of the plans, timeline of implementation, public consultation and funding.

Newport (Wales Times) November 14, 2026 – Concerns over traffic plans for uk/local/newport/">Newport city centre have intensified after a council report appeared to show proposals to reduce a key slip road leading from the Old Green roundabout to the Kingsway and Riverfront Theatre from two lanes to one, with a traffic lane potentially replaced by a segregated cycle route.

As reported by Michael Enea of the South Wales Argus, the proposals are set out in a newly published Newport City Council report on the roll-out of the city centre’s 15-year Placemaking Plan. The report includes a section on the “Riverfront and Steel Wave Public Realm” area, while a more detailed map appears to identify changes to the slip road connecting the Old Green roundabout with the Kingsway and Riverfront Theatre.

What do the proposed changes involve?

The map overlaid in the council report states: “Slip road reduced to one lane of traffic with additional lane for queuing at junction.” It also states: “Proposed bidirectional segregated cycle route replacing traffic lane on slip road.”

In practical terms, the reported proposal would reduce the number of traffic lanes available on that slip road and introduce space for a two-way, physically separated cycle route. The map also refers to an additional lane for queuing at the junction.

The South Wales Argus report notes that the text on the map was small and could easily be overlooked. It says the report’s written description of the “Riverfront and Steel Wave Public Realm” area was “vaguely worded”, while the map provided the more specific indication of the possible road changes.

The reported material does not state that the council has formally approved the proposal, begun construction, or confirmed a date for implementation. It also does not provide details of a public consultation, estimated cost, design drawings, traffic modelling or a final decision by councillors.

Why are councillors concerned?

Newport Conservative Group leader Councillor Matthew Evans MBE criticised the suggestion, saying: “This suggestion is absolutely outrageous.”

As reported by the South Wales Argus, Councillor Evans said: “The route down from the Old Green roundabout onto the Kingsway is already heavily used during the daily rush hours.” He added: “Cutting one lane from the slip road would see traffic backed up onto the roundabout itself, triggering further tailbacks.”

Councillor Evans called for the proposal to be stopped, saying: “We need to stop this nonsense now.”

He also referred to ongoing changes in Devon Place, describing them as “an ill-conceived plan that does nothing to enhance the lives of residents”. He said: “In my view, it’s a complete shambles.”

Councillor Evans further stated:

“We need to get traffic moving, not slowing it down,” and added: “This war on motorists must end.”

What has David Fouweather said?

Fellow Newport Conservative Councillor David Fouweather also raised concerns about the potential effect of the proposals on traffic movement in the city centre.

According to the South Wales Argus, Councillor Fouweather said:

“They really are trying their very best to gridlock the city centre.”

He described the proposed replacement of the Old Green roundabout, combined with traffic-lane closures to make way for cycle lanes, as “just utter madness”.

Councillor Fouweather warned:

“We’ll end up with mass tailbacks, daily queues and stationary vehicles.”

He also expressed concern that motorists could avoid Newport altogether. “I have a grave concern motorists will avoid Newport like the plague,” he said.

Councillor Fouweather said many drivers may instead choose alternative shopping destinations, including Cwmbran, Spytty or the retail parks at Maesglas. He argued that the proposals were coming at a time when Newport’s city centre was “desperately trying [to] get back on its feet”.

How does this relate to the Queensway?

The concerns raised by the Conservative councillors follow changes already made along the Queensway. According to the South Wales Argus report, these include priority bus signals and the installation of two pedestrian crossings.

The report states that, during rush hour, traffic is now backing up onto the Old Green roundabout. It presents this as part of the context for concerns about further changes to roads around the city centre.

The article does not provide an independent traffic assessment confirming the cause, scale or duration of any congestion on the Queensway or at the Old Green roundabout. It reports the observations and concerns of the councillors and the author rather than presenting separate technical evidence.

What is proposed for the Old Green roundabout?

The South Wales Argus report says there are plans to remove and replace the Old Green roundabout. It states that these plans were drafted by Transport for Wales.

The report adds that Newport City Council has not opposed the proposals. It does not include a statement from Newport City Council or Transport for Wales explaining the rationale for the roundabout proposals, their expected impact on traffic, or the stage they have reached in the planning and consultation process.

Councillor Fouweather linked the possible slip-road changes to the wider proposals for the Old Green roundabout. He argued that, taken together, the measures could create substantial congestion in the city centre.

What is the Placemaking Plan?

The council report concerns the roll-out of Newport city centre’s 15-year Placemaking Plan. The reported material does not set out the full contents of that plan, its budget, its delivery timetable, or the complete list of projects included within it.

The specific element drawing attention in the South Wales Argus report is the “Riverfront and Steel Wave Public Realm” area. The report’s map appears to show a proposed change to the slip road leading from the Old Green roundabout towards the Kingsway and Riverfront Theatre.

Public-realm plans commonly involve changes to streets, footways, crossings, cycling infrastructure and public spaces. However, the reported article does not provide a broader explanation from the council of how the Riverfront and Steel Wave proposals fit into the wider Placemaking Plan or what other measures may be planned in the area.

What remains unclear?

Several important details are not included in the reported material. These include whether the slip-road proposal is a firm commitment, an early concept, a design option or part of a wider consultation.

It is also not clear when the changes might be implemented, how long construction could take, what alternative routes would be available during any works, or whether traffic modelling has been carried out to assess the impact on the Old Green roundabout, the Kingsway and surrounding streets.

The report does not include a response from Newport City Council to the councillors’ criticisms. It likewise does not include a response from Transport for Wales regarding the Old Green roundabout proposals or the potential interaction between that scheme and the slip-road changes shown in the council report.

Background of the development

Newport city centre has been the subject of longer-term regeneration and transport planning, including the council’s 15-year Placemaking Plan. The newly published report cited by the South Wales Argus relates to the roll-out of that plan and includes material on the Riverfront and Steel Wave Public Realm area.

The Old Green roundabout is a significant junction near the city centre, connecting routes including the approach towards the Kingsway and the Riverfront Theatre. The reported concerns focus on the potential cumulative effect of changes at that junction, on the Queensway and on the slip road leading towards the Kingsway.

Transport for Wales has drafted proposals to remove and replace the Old Green roundabout, according to the South Wales Argus. The article says Newport City Council has not opposed those proposals, although it does not include the council’s own explanation of its position.

The latest concerns were voiced by Conservative councillors Matthew Evans and David Fouweather after the publication of the council report. Their comments focus on the potential for reduced road capacity, queues at peak times and a possible effect on shoppers’ willingness to travel into Newport city centre.

Prediction: how could this affect Newport residents and businesses?

If the slip road were reduced to one traffic lane and a bidirectional segregated cycle route were introduced, drivers who regularly use the route from the Old Green roundabout towards the Kingsway could face reduced capacity at peak times. Councillor Evans has predicted that this could push queues back towards the roundabout, although this remains a concern rather than a confirmed outcome.

For commuters, the immediate effect could be longer journey times during morning and evening rush hours, particularly if the changes coincide with work on the Old Green roundabout or existing congestion on the Queensway. The reported concerns suggest that drivers may need to allow additional time for city-centre journeys if the proposals proceed.

For city-centre businesses, the principal concern raised by Councillor Fouweather is that motorists may choose alternative shopping locations, such as Cwmbran, Spytty or retail parks at Maesglas, if they expect difficulty parking or travelling through Newport. That would be an anticipated risk based on his comments, not an established economic impact.

For cyclists and pedestrians, a segregated bidirectional cycle route could provide a more protected route through part of the city-centre network, if it is delivered as described on the map. The reported material does not include details on the route’s exact alignment, safety assessment, connections to existing cycling infrastructure or expected usage.

For Newport City Council, the development could increase pressure to explain the evidence behind the proposals, publish traffic modelling where available, and set out how drivers, bus users, cyclists, pedestrians, residents and businesses would be affected. The absence of a detailed public response in the reported material means that the practical impact on the city centre remains uncertain.