Head of the Valleys Dualling:Further Delay put Down to 'technical delays'

12.00.00am GMT Tue 17th Nov 2009

A vital section of the Heads of the Valleys road dualling project has been put into further delay by 'technical problems'.

Today in the National Assembly, it emerged that the project to complete the missing link of the dualling of the national trunk road, seen as vital to help economic regeneration of the south Wales valleys, will now not start until after 2011.

Local Assembly Member, Welsh Liberal Democrat Michael German, questioned the First Minister in the Assembly today and he confirmed that due to 'technical problems' the road project had been put into further delay.

Mr. German said, "I will want to now what is the nature of these technical delays. The First Minister was not able to tell us exactly what the problem is now. The project was due to start in early 2010 and has now been put back to after 2011.

"I am struggling to understand what the why the project has slipped into further delay and blaming 'technical problems' without explaining what that means is not good enough."

He added, "Now that the M4 relief road around Newport has been cancelled there is money available in the budget to complete the duelling programme and help lift the South Wales valleys."