Why are 50mph speed limits better for the environment?
Never miss a big story in Blaenau Gwent again with our daily email Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. The 50mph limit would be on the A465 Heads of the Valleys road between Brynmawr and Gilwern and is part of the Welsh Governments 800m upgrade programme to turn the route from Monmouthshire to Neath Port Talbot into dual carriageways. The redevelopment is one of Wales' biggest road projects and started in 2014. This is everything that has happened there so far. READ MORE: The people living in the shadow of Wales' biggest road construction project  The news comes after the Welsh Government announced that all new road building projects in Wales would be shelved and re-evaluated due to concerns about the environment. The Welsh Government has also announced that part of the A4232 link road in Cardiff will get a 50mph speed limit. The limit will run between Culverhouse Cross to Queens Gate Roundabout in Cardiff Bay. Public Health Wales has said that road traffic emissions account for two-thirds of air pollution and reducing speeds on the road should cut air pollution. Driving slower is more efficient and reduces emissions of harmful air pollutants and carbon dioxide. Road traffic emissions account for more than 64% of air pollution and PHW has said reducing road traffic emissions are also likely to have wider climate change effects. 50mph speed limits are not just good for the environment but also improve air quality and prevent a range of health conditions and death. The Welsh Government has said they are committed to building healthier communities and better environments". Data has shown speed limit reductions lower nitrogen dioxide levels, proving good for the environment and good for health. There are many frustrations around the change on the Heads of the Valleys road but there is hope in the long run it will be worth it. Welsh Government said in the past that evidence shows that nitrogen dioxide emissions are at their lowest when light vehicles, the main contributors to emissions, travel at speeds between 40 and 50 mph. The speed limits are also expected to have a smoothing effect, with vehicles travelling at more constant speeds. However some residents in Blaenau Gwent are angry with this idea as the consultation could mean that after seven years of work to widen the road on a five mile stretch between Brynmawr and Gilwern, they could now be asked to use the same speed as it had before. The project to upgrade this section of the A465 is currently three years behind schedule and around 100m over budget as well. Subscribe to the Wales Matters newsletter Wales Matters delivers the best of WalesOnline's coverage of politics, health, education, current affairs and local democracy straight to your inbox. Now more than ever this sort of journalism matters and we want you to be able to access it all in one place with one click. It's completely free and you can unsubscribe at any time. To subscribe, click here, enter your email address and follow the simple instructions. Christine Evans has been a driving instructor based in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, for almost 36 years and says after putting up with years worth of delays and congestion on this section of road, the consultation for a 50mph speed limit is nothing short of ridiculous. She said: "It's completely ridiculous and it really makes you wonder what was the point in spending all that time and money to build a road that's only suitable to drive 50mph on. "I use this section of the A465 regularly as we have to go to Abergavenny test centre, and it was a route that used to be pretty quick until all the roadworks and speed restrictions were put in place. "At the end of the day we went through all those delays and road closures to get the benefits of a faster, wider road when it was finished, so I really disagree with the idea of keeping it at 50mph after all that work." A Welsh Government spokesperson said: We have introduced 50mph speed limits as they have the potential to bring immediate improvements to air quality. We have achieved encouraging reductions in pollution levels since they were introduced and we will consider their suitability for other locations where poor air quality has been identified, as part of our wider programme of work.