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Welsh Government
Data Provider: Welsh Government National Statistics Road length (Km), by type of road and year, Wales
None
[Collapse]Road Speed‘Built up\’ roads refer to roads with a speed limit of 40mph or less whilst ‘non-built up\’ those with speeds over 40mph that includes the national speed limit of 60mph on single carriageway.[Filtered]
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Road Speed 1[Filter]
[Collapse]Type of carriageway[Filtered]
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Type of carriageway 1[Filter]
[Collapse]Local Authority[Filtered]
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Local Authority 1[Filter]
Measure2
Year(Descending)[Filtered]
[Collapse]Road type(Ascending)[Filter]
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[Collapse]Road type 1
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[Collapse]Road type 2
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Road type 3
Click here to sort2022-23Click here to sort2021-22Click here to sort2020-21Click here to sort2019-20Click here to sort2018-19Click here to sort2017-18Click here to sort2016-17Click here to sort2015-16Click here to sort2014-15Click here to sort2013-14Click here to sort2012-13Click here to sort2011-12Click here to sort2010-11Click here to sort2009-10Click here to sort2008-09Click here to sort2007-08
[Collapse]Total35,171.9035,119.4035,019.2034,884.9034,853.4034,798.3034,683.7034,644.4034,497.9034,459.6034,456.8034,427.9034,365.3034,299.5034,166.7034,174.40
Total[Collapse]MotorwayChanges to motorway lengths from year 2018-19 are due to improved methodology, not to new roads built. Please see key quality information for further details.[Expand]MotorwayChanges to motorway lengths from year 2018-19 are due to improved methodology, not to new roads built. Please see key quality information for further details.134.70134.70134.70(r) The data item has been revised since previously published in StatsWales.134.70(r) The data item has been revised since previously published in StatsWales.134.80133.00133.00133.00133.00133.00133.00133.00133.00133.00133.00133.00
[Collapse]Total (Excluding Motorway)35,037.2034,984.70(r) The data item has been revised since previously published in StatsWales.34,884.50(r) The data item has been revised since previously published in StatsWales.34,750.2034,718.6034,665.3034,550.7034,511.4034,364.9034,326.6034,323.8034,294.9034,232.3034,166.5034,033.7034,041.40
Total (Excluding Motorway)[Expand]A County2,794.702,773.002,773.702,773.202,773.002,762.902,759.502,752.902,751.102,751.902,752.102,757.902,743.902,742.202,745.102,735.00
[Expand]A Trunk1,575.601,575.601,575.601,575.601,575.601,576.301,576.201,576.201,576.201,576.201,576.201,576.201,575.901,576.601,576.601,576.60
[Collapse]B and C roads.The data item is not applicable.The data item is not applicable(r) The data item has been revised since previously published in StatsWales.(r) The data item has been revised since previously published in StatsWales.12,861.0012,861.0012,854.3012,843.8012,835.5012,816.8012,812.8012,813.6012,814.2012,814.9012,800.6012,776.1012,771.30
B and C roadsB road3,025.203,024.803,023.603,022.803,022.803,022.003,022.603,020.603,016.703,015.703,017.003,007.003,008.702,993.202,983.102,977.90
C road9,855.309,854.70(r) The data item has been revised since previously published in StatsWales.9,844.509,838.309,838.309,832.309,821.209,814.909,800.109,797.009,796.509,807.209,806.109,807.409,793.009,793.40
[Expand]Minor surfaced roads17,786.4017,756.40(r) The data item has been revised since previously published in StatsWales.17,667.10(r) The data item has been revised since previously published in StatsWales.17,540.4017,509.1017,471.9017,371.2017,346.7017,220.7017,185.7017,181.9017,146.7017,097.7017,047.1016,935.9016,958.50

Metadata

Title

Road Lengths in Wales

Last update

July 2023 July 2023

Next update

July 2024

Publishing organisation

Welsh Government

Source 1

Road lengths data collection, Welsh Government

Designation

National Statistics

Lowest level of geographical disaggregation

Local authorities

Geographical coverage

Local authorities

Languages covered

English and Welsh

Data licensing

You may use and re-use this data free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License - see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

General description

The Motorway and Trunk Roads are the main transport arteries in Wales and they carry the highest volume of traffic per vehicle kilometre. The Welsh Government is the highway authority for the motorway and the trunk road network, whilst all other public highways are the responsibility of the local authority it’s within. These statistics present information about the length and condition of roads in Wales and are based upon financial year.

Data reference periods

1995-96 to 2022-2023

Revisions information

There were no real changes to motorway lengths in 2022-23 but the estimate changed slightly in 2018-2019 because of improved methodology. The majority of local authorities have only had minor changes to the motorway lengths (plus or minus a maximum of 0.2 km) resulting in a combined increase of 0.3 km overall.
The two exceptions are the increases in Monmouthshire and Newport (0.8 km and 0.7 km respectively). These are due to the inclusion of sections of road previously interpreted as slip road; where the M48 joins the M4 in Monmouthshire and where the A48(M) joins the M4 in Newport. These joining lengths are regarded as motorway not slip road because vehicles do not exit one road to join the other, they simply merge together.

Statistical quality

Motorway: Roads identified as M on road signs and which are reserved for use by certain types of traffic only. The A48(M) is included in this group. The data are provided by the Welsh Government's Network Management Division.

A: trunk roads: A trunk roads comprise the national network of strategic routes which cater for the through movement of long distance traffic for which the Welsh Government is the highway authority. The network comprises some of the all-purpose roads (A roads), which are open for use by all classes of traffic, and special roads such as motorways (which are separately identified in the tables). For all other public roads the local authorities are the highway authorities.

A: county roads: also known as Principal classified roads. Roads of regional and urban strategic importance.

B and C roads: also known as Non-principal classified roads. These distribute traffic to urban and rural localities.

Minor surfaced roads: also known as Unclassified. These are local distributor and access roads.

Keywords

Road Length M4