Council calls on Welsh Government to reinstate scrapped programme of road works

Alec Doyle – Local democracy reporter

A north Wales council wants Welsh Government to reinstate an entire programme of road improvement works that were scrapped in 2023.

Last month Welsh Government Transport Secretary Ken Skates MS announced the revival of plans to improve traffic flow and active travel links at Junction 4 and traffic signal efficiency at Junction 5 of the A483 to alleviate congestion on the main arterial route.

The £1.5 million project will be funded by Welsh Government but Cllr David Bithell, Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Strategic Transport, says the authority is now pushing for the original scheme to improve Junctions 3-6 – originally approved at an estimated cost around £53 million – to be reinstated.

That scheme would have increased capacity and traffic flow and enhanced active travel routes around Ruthin Road  – the plan which has now been revived.

It also should have created an additional ‘flare’ lane on the B5605 Wrexham Road approach to Rhostyllen roundabout, seen the installation of new traffic lights and improvements to all signalling on the Plas Coch/Mold Road roundabout and created extra lanes at Gresford roundabout on the Southbound Chester Road and Blue Bell approach.

The plans were approved and funded before Lee Waters MS – then Transport Secretary – scrapped them in 2023.

“As far as I’m concerned, when they pulled that scheme it was wrong,” said Cllr Bithell. “To be fair to the Cabinet Secretary, Ken Skates, he’s been lobbying to get it back.

“We’re not going to accept anything less. It was £53 million when they pulled it – it’s probably worth £73 million now with inflation. That’s our position. We want the same scheme as was pulled.

“We welcomed the recent announcement by the First Minister and hopefully that is the same scheme as was originally planned for the Ruthin Road junction.

“But there were a number of improvements across a number of junctions which wee consulted on and which would would help us as a city and we want those back.”