A40 section to shut near St Clears on one of driest and sunniest weekends of the year

There could be significant disruption for motorists travelling to and from west Wales over the weekend as a section of a major road is to be closed for more than two full days. A part of the A40 between St Clears in Carmarthenshire and Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire will be shut in both directions due to roadworks.

Work has been carried out on the stretch of carriageway between Llanddewi Velfrey and Redstone Cross since 2021, as the Welsh Government wants to “upgrade the existing road to improve safety and to incorporate new cycling and walking routes". The works will see the construction of a new 6km road, a new roundabout, new junctions and improvements made to Penblewin roundabout, located on the A40 to the north of Narberth.

As part of the planned works, the road will be shut in both directions between Penblewin roundabout and Robeson Wathen between Friday night and Monday morning. As this weekend promises to be one of the finest and driest of the year so far, many people could be tempted to head west along the A40 to Pembrokeshire, meaning it could cause problems. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.

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While the area affected by roadworks is not the main route to Tenby and Saundersfoot, it is one people would take if heading to other popular seaside spots such as St Davids, Newgale or Broad Haven. The road (between Penblewin roundabout and Robeson Wathen) will be closed between 8pm on Friday and 6am on Monday. Diversions will be in place to the north and south of the A40, which could have an impact on traffic on smaller roads connecting different villages in the area. Want less ads? Download WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android.

As well as the A40 closure over the weekend, another section of road will be shut from 8pm on Friday night - but will remain closed off for four weeks. The northerly exit of Redstone Road - which connects to the A40 between Penblewin roundabout and Robeson Wathen - will be shut until May 17, but the Welsh Government has said that “every effort will be made to re-open this road earlier if possible”.

Plans to improve the A40 between Penblewin roundabout and the Redstone Cross junction were first confirmed five years ago in 2019, after a study found it to be “substandard”, with “limited overtaking opportunities which lead to poor journey time reliability and driver frustration”. Ken Skates AM, who was in 2019 Wales’s transport minister, a role he took up again following a cabinet reshuffle last month, said at the time: “In making this decision we have listened carefully to local residents and believe the proposed improvements would deliver real benefits for them. The proposals would provide greater resilience, enhance journey time reliability, and improve safety.”