Britain's Abandoned Roads - Episode 5 - A48 Coedkernew Newport Wales

#abandoned #roads #Wales
I went to Wales to check out an abandoned dual carriageway that's been used as a dumping ground for decades.
Welcome to Britain's Abandoned Roads. In this series, I go out to explore some of the UKs abandoned or disused roads. Old roads in the woods, motorway junctions or forgotten slip roads, this series has it all! Join me as I travel all over the country seeking out forgotten infrastructure.
Be sure to follow us on twitter - @JonShenanigans

[@chrisb2792]

I've lived in the area for over 20 years. The road was supposed to link up with the A48 Southern Distributor Road at the roundabout adjacent to the Saracens Rugby Club, creating the Duffryn Relief Road and bypassing the Pont Ebbw and Tredegar Park junctions. However the bit you visited was never opened and the rest of i5 was never built. Instead the two junctions were altered (I won't say improved) with the A48 cutting straight through the roundabouts and numerous traffic lights. Us locals have got used to them now but there were a few prangs and horrendous traffic jams when they opened. Incidentally, Newport has a third 'hamburger' at Jn 24 of the M4, the Coldra Junction. The 'Road to Nowhere' has been adopted by environmentally-conscious locals and is now the 'Road to Nature' The former LG factory is the large white building. Known for a while as the 'white elephant' it's now home to a huge datacentre. Thanks for an interesting video and indeed channel.

[@aston-s]

No way... I briefly worked in Wales and that roundabout at the end of the video was part of my commute I had no idea there was an abandoned dual carriageway just behind the gate. In other news you were stood next to what use to be Europe's largest radiator factory

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thanks for commenting! Yes I saw the radiator factory... can't miss it really!

[@JimmyRyan13]

You definitely deserve more subscribers! Good content 👍

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thanks bro, we're working our way up that's for sure :)

[@ukroadtrips2102]

Another great video as always Jon! Reminds me a little of the road you looked at in Corby, except this one feels very apocalyptic! Cheers Ollie

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thanks for watching. This one was more desolate for sure. If I'd gone a week earlier it would have had rubbish piled up everywhere!

[@ukroadtrips2102]

They cleared the rubbish just for you mate!

[@bobblebardsley]

"The council have agreed to dramatically improve the area..." "Oh good, it looks like it's in dire need of that." "...and had done so a few days before I filmed this." 😬

[@davidyardley512]

Fascinating video. If there is no use for the road it should be returned to nature. Soil absorbs rain a lot better than asphalt.

[@bobblebardsley]

It always amazes me (although I suppose it shouldn't) that nobody has a vested interest in *removing* stuff and putting 'nature' back in place, so once something's built and then no longer needed, it just gets left to crumble. I guess that's what archaeology is all about and we've been doing it for thousands of years, but it does feel like *someone* should have the job of properly removing buildings and infrastructure if they're no longer used.

[@m644our]

There's a short stretch of abandoned road off the A6013 where it meets the A57 at Ladybower reservoir. 👍

[@Jasper-Holland]

Was this road section ever used by cars? Or just never opened?

[@ridleyscurry2480]

you're hilarious. I have to pause your videos often cause I'm laughing.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

I used to work at Cleppa Park which is just past the LG factory. Coedkernew is pronounced Coid-ker-new

[@debeightonethree6346]

Newport gave us Benji Webbe and therefore Skindred. It should have a shrine!

[@AutoShenanigans]

"Welsh" music has got better with time. Skindred are cool.

[@surfblue63]

I worked for a company that was involved in the LG fiasco. The factory never got built. All the plant stood idol for year whilst they tried to work out some kind of deal. My company did all right out of it because we basically got paid to do nothing for a couple of years.

[@gavmusic]

Exquisitely bleak

[@AutoShenanigans]

Another good channel review right there.

[@Cadcare]

By the title of this video, this isn't the A47 Norwich Bypass, which I worked on in Sydney when I didn't know how old felt like, is it? No. It is close in number though. Alan is waiting to watch that one. Best wishes, Alan

[@professorpodcast3029]

Great Video again Jon, I have found an excellent abandoned road for you next time you go up to Scotland, it is a short section of the A93 at the Craighall Gorge, just next to the town of Blairgowrie which it self is a comuter town for the Cities of Dundee and Perth. Jag Betty from Strange Places in Scotland did an fantastic vidoe coverimg the road

[@AutoShenanigans]

We do have a couple to look at up that way for sure... Im struggling to find details on the one you mention... any vid links?

[@professorpodcast3029]

@@AutoShenanigans kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYTbYqCFmbSci8U

[@AutoShenanigans]

Top man. Found it now ;) Looks like a good un!

[@anthonylloyd6094]

Watching these though and i have a new game.... How many abandoned roads have a Church Lane in the vicinity.......

[@sambosztech]

I made a video on this ages back now, it’s been cleaned up fairly decently though, it was a massive mess when I went there, I do a series called UPF’s Road Map about lost roads, had to do this as my first as I live in Newport haha so might as well. Great take on it though mate, like your style

[@AutoShenanigans]

Cheers mate, just looking through your vids... surprised ive not found some of them when doing research! Still... thats tonights viewing sorted :D

[@sambosztech]

Auto Shenanigans Thanks so much mate, yeah I’m always doing research, there’s the Secret Motorway of the Fire Service College, The M96, as well, I’ve tried contacting them to visit but they haven’t responded sadly.

[@AutoShenanigans]

@@sambosztech Yes I'm keen to look at that... I think theres a lot more on site that would be of interest, there's a few train and track related items I believe.

[@sambosztech]

Auto Shenanigans Exactly, that would be perfect for me as I have my TRAINRIDE series as well.

[@AutoShenanigans]

@@sambosztech Yeah I did see. I'll be checking those out.

[@MrGreatplum]

Looks like the top tourist attraction for Newport… 😆

[@sarahstrong7174]

Some of these roads could usefully be converted to Blackberry themed theme parks.

[@tomevans12]

I don't think the road was ever opened in the first place

[@AutoShenanigans]

That's certainly a possibility

[@craig1996]

out of curiosity, is it possible to get a car in there? not do dump but as a place to let off steam and skid about? could let it be used for that rather than being built on

[@AutoShenanigans]

You can, but you need permission and a key. Theres CCTV down there now as well. I'd love to find an area for skids... no luck yet :(

[@craig1996]

@@AutoShenanigans Ah that's a shame, bet if you asked the answer would be swift and pretty obvious. Ah well is what it is i guess.

[@PiousMoltar]

I'm sure they could have used it as like a test road or filming location or something. Oh well.

[@PiousMoltar]

Well, to be honest, in its current state it would make a great filming location for something post apocalyptic.

[@AutoShenanigans]

@@PiousMoltar It's been cleaned up quite nicely now and would certainly be a good film set.. much like the "Road to nowhere" in Yate. I'm sure the local council could be persuaded for the right amount of cash.

[@richardlloyd6782]

It was used to film an episode of Casualty or Holby City which involved a car crash. I worked for the Council at the time and we used to hire it out.

[@macchinaverdi]

Why aren't these parts of cycle ways???

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thanks for watching :) Quite a few of the roads we've looked at have indeed been converted to cycle ways. This one in particular has a public path/cycle way running along side but that might not be obvious in the film.

[@CORNERofTECH]

Well it should be something instead of space for environmental harm.

[@benllewelyn98]

This one in particular doesn't really go anywhere which is why it's not really any use as a cycle way

[@C86-x5r]

I have an ex girlfriend who used to call Newport 'pooport', I thought it was very apt for an otherwise delinquent