QUESTIONS over how long the temporary 50mph speed limit on the A40 between Abergavenny and Raglan will be in place are set to be posed by Monmouthshire County Council.

The 50mph limit has been in force on the A40 from the Hardwick roundabout to the Raglan roundabout since last September and was imposed to allow highway engineers to assess repairs required to the central vehicle system barrier. 

Now Llanelly Hill independent councillor Simon Howarth has called on the county councillor responsible for highways, Catrin Maby, to ask the Welsh Government when it intends carrying out the repairs. 

Cllr Howarth said: “They haven’t sorted out when the repairs will happen to the central reservation, that is really important to find out when that will happen and when it’s in their budget.” 

It was originally said the reduction would be in place for a maximum of 18 months

Cllr Maby agreed to write to the Welsh Government but said the current reduced speed limit had been welcomed by those living close to the road.

“Residents have come to me and said how much they appreciate the reduced speed because of the impact on noise.” 

The Drybridge Labour councillor also said she considered it a ‘small success’ that the speed limit on the A40, by Raglan Castle, had been temporarily reduced after she had contacted the Welsh Government, adding she understood from Raglan Conservative member Penny Jones that residents had been calling for a reduction for 12 years. 

The limit is in force for 18 months while compliance and collision data is monitored, with a view to possibly making the lower speed permanent.

Last month, Monmouth MP David Davies said: “It is certainly a welcome step in the right direction to address the significant concerns which have been raised for years over the dangerous junctions crossing the Raglan stretch of the busy A40 dual carriageway...

“Let us hope further permanent measures will be forthcoming.”

Calls were also made last year to close off the right hand turn exiting the village from the top of Monmouth Road, making traffic turn left down to the lower roundabout.

But National Cycle Network Agency, Sustrans, objected saying the junction had been identified as a cycle route and it would be unsafe for riders to cycle to the roundabout and back.