Newport West AM Rosemary Butler has urged the Welsh Assembly Government to speed up the process needed to build a new motorway and to introduce better traffic measures, following the recent tragedy on the M4 near the Caerleon.

During an emergency statement on the accident in the Assembly Mrs Butler said:

"The concern is that the anticipated opening is 2013.We know we have to have a public enquiry and I hope the public enquiry will come down in favour of the opening of the road.My concern is that 2013 is a long way away."

She was also concerned about the immediate problems caused by the accident.

"There appeared to be no signs, no police or community wardens on any form of traffic duty.Newport was totally clogged again.For the whole day people missed outpatient appointments, day surgeries - children as young as four or five were trapped on buses for 3 hours. It really was a very distressing situation all round.

" I do accept that these were two exceptional events, but we do have frequent smaller incidents on the motorway around Newport and this does cause traffic to clog up within the city centre.We do need to have much better short term traffic management programmes".

Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said that he would talk to the police about ways of alleviating the traffic management problems in City Centre.He warned later that there were environmental issues to be resolved at a future public enquiry into the M4 Relief Road.

Wednesday September 19