Mike Kerr kindly sent us this plan. It was one of three proposals to improve the roads in and around Newport which appeared in the South Wales Argus on August 18th 1959. The other twoschemes suggested a Northern bypass of Newport (which eventually became the M4) and a crossing over the Usk in Newport (which became the George Street Bridge).
The above plan, though, included a Caerleon bypass which left the road from Newport just before Caerleon bridge crossing the river via a new bridge, and ran in a straight line to join the Caerleon to Usk road somewhere near the turning to Llanhennock. As can be seen above, another road ran from the Chepstow Road area over Christchurch to cross the river and also join the Caerleon to Usk road. This was presumably to take the traffic headed for the Midlands.
Well the Newport bypass eventually took the form of the M4, and the Midlands traffic now heads up the A449... but Caerleon never did get a bypass. A good job it didn't get the one above! But it certainly could do with one. It's probably too late now due to the subsequent building that has taken place around the town |