Brynglas Tunnel Fire Does Little to Help! 26-07-2011

 .
Hi,

routine as it has become schlepping up and down the M4 Chepstow to Velindre every day it is still 70 miles round trip and VERY boring.

Today was somewhat different but the bore turned out to be rather longer than most days!

With the radio burbling on in the background this morning I heard an announcement there was a lorry on fire in The Brynglas Tunnel west bound and explosions had been heard. 

These two tunnels, east and west bound where each 3 lane of the M4 motorway narrows to pass through the two lane pinch point – originally designed to solve congestion in Newport and handle through traffic they were opened in 1967 – Much has happened since!

There can be few who use these tunnels regularly who can not have hoped for a moment that the explosions had be large enough to destabilise the hill the tunnels burrow under, forcing the removal of a sector of the hill to expand the facility of the M4 beyond these two ill planned tunnels.

Here is someone I know who has done several interviews and programmes I’ve been involved in on TV. He too was caught in the traffic and here he is chatting on video about the problems CLICK HERE

With an appointment scheduled for 15:00hrs. I rang LA3 at Velindre and spoke to Stephan – he said they were handling appointments as they could but not to worry if I was late as the staff would stay on until EVERYONE had had their treatment, which was very reassuring.

I rang at 13:10hrs. and normally the journey takes from 35 to 40 minutes BUT TODAY!!!!

I set out at 13:25hrs. and finally arrived after going through the lanes across Redwick, Goldcrest etc. to Nash – not really knowing where I was much of the time – then into the snarl up in Newport which was total gridlock – I eventually arrived in Velindre at 15:40hrs.

Over 2 hours to travel 35 miles!

I received my 57 seconds of ZAP on the machine and then set out home again at about 16:20hrs. – this time I headed north towards Merthyr Tydfal and cut across the valleys to Usk where by now it was18:30hrs. so I stopped off for coffee with friends and eventually arrived home at 20:35hrs.

I must say I find doing this every day a bit daunting!

However I must say the staff at Velindre have been brilliant and have reshuffled appointments and tried to keep no one waiting – in fact I was, with the consent of all the others waiting, bumped up the list and dealt with almost immediately in the light of how much travelling was involved.

Thank you to anyone I delayed and a big thanks to the efficiency of the staff.

 .