Retailers hope town centre facelifts and a new relief road opening in Galashiels can help reverse the trend.
It is hoped the relief road will help ease congestion by diverting through traffic on the A327 at Shinfield.
BBC: Shinfield eastern relief road to be built with ?25m loan
The business groups said the M4 relief road would have created a strategic route into the south Wales economy.
Employers' group the CBI has called a relief road to ease congestion on the M4 near Newport a "clear priority".
Meanwhile, the Freight Trade Association said the future of the south Wales economy was "severely hamstrung" without the relief road.
Plans for a new relief road through the centre of Lincoln are going on display as part of a public consultation.
An M4 relief road south of Newport, electrification of valley lines trains - two schemes Prof Morgan believes would benefit Wales' economy.
The burial site was found during work for the Weymouth Relief Road, meant to ease traffic congestion on the highway to Weymouth, on England's southern coast.
He said the proposed Graven Hill relief road near the village would make the problem a lot worse and villagers were fighting to prevent it happening.
Green groups are opposed to building a relief road over the coastal Gwent Levels, but business leaders say the south Wales economy badly needs improved motorway links.
BBC: Chancellor George Osborne backs M4 motorway relief road
However, Matt Hemsley, spokesman for the transport charity Sustrans Cymru, criticised the M4 relief road as "poor value for money", saying investment in public transport would do more to ease congestion.
BBC: M4 relief road: No tolls planned, Welsh government says
Yet in spite of all the good news, and Sainsbury's belief that it is "well placed" for 2010, cheery holiday sales could just be temporary relief on a still bumpy road.
Global Times says continual aftershocks, severe road congestion and insufficient relief supplies are also hampering the rescue efforts in Lushan and neighbouring counties.
What a relief not to be on the road again 100 days a year--or to have to hire someone to look after her Lhasa apso.
Transport Scotland said the relief route, which uses the Old Military Road, could be completed this week.
BBC: A83 Rest and Be Thankful diversion route 'almost ready'
However, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble accepted that, later down the road, there could be debt relief if Greece completed its adjustment programme and no longer needed new loans.
Everywhere I have stopped, people have told me that they took what they needed and guided the relief vehicles to villages that are furthest from the main road network.
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Reports in The Times and Independent say that funding for a relief motorway will be guaranteed by the Treasury to allow the Welsh government to build the road and then to repay the loan at least in part by raising tolls.
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