A48 road

The A48 is a main road running from Highnam near Gloucester to Carmarthen in Wales. For most of its length it keeps close to the M4 motorway, passing villages such as Minsterworth, Westbury-on-Severn and Lydney. It crosses the Severn at Chepstow and follows the south Wales coast through Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend and Swansea. Until the Severn Bridge opened in 1966 it carried most traffic between England and South Wales. The road carries trunk-route traffic and holiday diversions when the bridge closes. A 27-mile stretch between Gloucester and Chepstow was once judged the most dangerous in South West England. Recent incidents have included a fatal crash near St Mellons that left three people dead. Parts of the route are dual carriageway, especially around Newport, while other sections remain single carriageway with level crossings. From the roadside there are views of the Forest of Dean and the Severn hills. Low railway bridges limit tall vehicles until Chepstow, where the route meets the A466 to the Wye Valley. Beyond Cardiff the road alternates between single and dual carriageway, bypassing towns such as Cowbridge and Port Talbot before ending at Carmarthen.