MADAM,

I know much has been written about the traffic problems on the A40 through Monmouth - the queues, the air pollution, the long jam on the bridge at certain times of the day.

My question is this. Has anyone suggested a flyover? It would have zero architectural merit, but it would dispense with the lights and keep the traffic moving. Desperate problems call for desperate measures. 

The previously proposed slip road/left filter over the bridge (coming from Dixon roundabout) should be built. A flyover and the adjacent slip road would start just beyond the access to the rowing club that passes beneath the road. The flyover would go straight on, up and over the junction, and down.

Traffic coming from the forest and crossing the bridge has three options. It either goes under the flyover and straight on into Wyebridge street, or under the flyover and turns right, crossing the land designated for car parking, to join the A40 heading towards Ross.

The left turn is the most problematic part of the whole scheme. There needs to be a left filter and slip road to join the A40 heading towards the tunnels. As I see it, there are three possible alternatives:

1) The flyover stands on central legs allowing the slip road to run along beneath the elevated section until there is sufficient ground beside the road for it to emerge and join the carriageway.

2) A separate single lane bridge is built for those wanting to turn left, towards south Wales.  This would have to cross the ground adjacent to the Monmouth Boys School playing field car park, with the bridge heading diagonally across the river to link up with a slip road.

3) Limit the flyover to a single lane in the south bound direction. This would dispense with the need for new slip roads on and off the bridge, but might be too restrictive given the volume of traffic using this stretch of road.

A 50mph speed limit could be introduced from the start of flyover all the way through to the south side of the Gibraltar tunnels, with cameras to enforce the limit. There will be little or no stationary traffic at the present junction, and far less acceleration of vehicles, both of which will significantly reduce the pollution in the area of the boys’ school.

Not ideal, but a workable option perhaps?

David Rowlands

(Lydbrook)