A five-month public inquiry into building a new £1 billion M4 relief road in South Wales has been delayed.
The study was due to begin on 01 November, however changes on how the Department of Transport carries out its methodology means the new inquiry will not start until 31 March 2017.
The delay will give the Welsh Government more time to assess new data which forecasts vehicle traffic growth in the region.
The £1 billion project involves building a new three-lane section of motorway between Magor and Castleton to the south of Newport as well as a 440-metre main span cable-stayed bridge.
Complementary measures include new cycling/walking infrastructure, improved road connections and reclassification of the existing motorway.
The design development team consists of Costain, Vinci and Taylor Woodrow with consultants Arup and Atkins, supported by environmental consultants RPS.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Skates, said despite the delay, the project will still be completed in 2021.
"The UK Government has already expressed its desire to see work on the M4 Project start as soon as possible, so it is hugely disappointing that the Department for Transport chose only to engage with us on these amendments to their traffic forecasting three days before they were introduced forcing this regrettable delay to the start date of the public inquiry," he said.
"Whilst we push forward with our Metro plans for north and south Wales, the long standing and continued problems associated with the M4 around Newport need a solution that delivers a long term, integrated and sustainable transport system.
"Assessments indicate that our proposed M4 Project is the only reasonable solution, but it is only right and proper that the proposals are scrutinised robustly, transparently and openly in an inquiry and that we test the project in light of the most up-to-date information available to ensure that we deliver the right choice for the people in Wales.
"It is essential that we, and others who wish to submit evidence to the public inquiry, now take time to fully review these new Department for Transport figures before the inquiry begins."
Work on the scheme is due to begin in Spring 2018.
(LM)
Construction News
04/10/2016
Public Inquiry On £1bn M4 Relief Road Project Delayed


30/06/2025
Places for London, Transport for London's wholly owned property company, has announced Ballymore as its joint venture partner for the transformation of the Limmo Peninsula in east London.
The partnership will see the creation of around 1,400 new homes, spanning affordable, market, and rental tenur

30/06/2025
Balfour Beatty, in partnership with Laing O'Rourke and Bouygues Travaux Publics, has officially signed the Programme Alliance Agreement with Sizewell C to deliver the main civil works at the UK's next nuclear power station.
The three companies will operate as the Sizewell C Civil Works Alliance (CW

30/06/2025
Morgan Sindall Construction and Southampton City Council have officially broken ground on the £36 million transformation of the city's historic Outdoor Sports Centre, marking a major milestone in one of the region's most ambitious regeneration projects.
A ceremonial event to celebrate the start of

30/06/2025
Doncaster Council has officially received a new collection of affordable homes at the Nutwell Grange development in Armthorpe, as part of a housing partnership with housebuilder Persimmon.
Deputy Mayor Glyn Jones and Councillor Majid Khan visited the site this week to mark the handover of eleven on

30/06/2025
Winvic Construction Ltd has announced the shortlisting of seven awards at this year's prestigious 'Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering Awards' (IWCE).
The shortlist celebrates both individual excellence and Winvic's company-wide commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in the built

30/06/2025
Alder Hey Children's Hospital and construction partner Morgan Sindall are celebrating a significant milestone in the development of a new facility that promises to transform care for children and young people.
The structure of the new building, which will house a state-of-the-art surgical neonatal

30/06/2025
Henry Boot PLC has announced that its land promotion and planning arm, Hallam Land Management, has completed the sale of a freehold site in Yalding, Kent, to housebuilder Fernham Homes.
The site has full planning permission for 112 residential units.
The sale has generated an ungeared internal ra

30/06/2025
A St Mungo's care home in Islington for people affected by homelessness has reopened its doors after a transformative refurbishment delivered by volunteers from delivery consultants and construction specialists Mace.
The six-week project, led by 46 Mace volunteers, saw the complete redesign and re-

30/06/2025
Galliford Try has marked a key construction milestone at its flagship project, The Rise, with a topping out ceremony celebrating the completion of the building’s structure at Guildford Crescent in the heart of Cardiff.
Once completed, The Rise will become Cardiff's tallest building, delivering 272

30/06/2025
Thousands more young people in the North East will be trained for careers in the fast-growing green energy sector thanks to an £8.48 million investment approved by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and her Cabinet.
The funding will support the expansion of Newcastle College's Energy Academy in Wallse