Councillor slams Welsh Government for ‘terrifying’ A55

Richard Evans – Local democracy reporter

Last week’s major fire in the Conwy Tunnel shows just how vulnerable the A55 is to disruption, a Conwy councillor has said.

Penmaenmawr councillor Cathy Augustine welcomed the reopening of the Conwy Tunnel after a crane lorry fire shut it down but said the chaos highlighted longstanding failures in improving the road.

“This incident highlighted yet again how vulnerable our stretch of the A55 is to accidents and delays, despite being a main arterial route from Ireland to Europe,” she said.

“Across Penmaenmawr ward we are, unfortunately, used to the chaos that follows incidents in the tunnels on the A55 that impact our local traffic and often bring lorries and other large unsuitable vehicles speeding through our village roads and attempting to navigate the Sychnant Pass.”

While she said she was grateful to police for getting a contraflow in place quickly, Cllr Augustine warned that residents are stuck with daily congestion and danger, especially at the Puffin Roundabout at Junction 16.

“Terrifying”

“I’m surprised that we don’t have more serious accidents as huge lorries hurtle towards this roundabout as though the entrance is a slip road,” she said.

“It can be terrifying to wonder whether they will stop in time to miss cars that have joined the roundabout from Dwygyfylchi and Penmaenmawr travelling east.

“This is a matter I’ve raised with Welsh Government via local Labour representatives since I was elected three years ago.

“In 2011 a scheme was included in the Welsh Assembly Government national transport plan to improve these junctions. Nothing was progressed.

“A further commitment was made in 2015.

“But it wasn’t until April 2019 that the Welsh transport minister announced a preferred option for an improvement project to address traffic flow, ease congestion, and benefit communities in Llanfairfechan, Penmaenmawr, and Dwygyfylchi.

“However, in 2021 – having spent a huge amount of money on assessment reports, draft orders, and environmental statements and consultation – the project was postponed pending review and has now clearly been scrapped with no further updates in general or to county councillors.”

“Unacceptable”

Cllr Augustine has now written to Aberconwy MP Claire Hughes and Conwy leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey with the hope of prompting action.

She added: “Traffic has become even heavier since then. The number of accidents on this stretch of the A55 and in the tunnels increases every year, and the impact on our local towns and villages is unacceptable, especially with new housing developments adding congestion and tailbacks to the access roads that feed on and off Junction 16.

“This is not just a problem for my ward of Penmaenmawr – the ripple effect of congestion and detours around this single roundabout has impacts for several miles either side and of course on our historic architecture and narrow roads of surrounding towns and villages.

“It’s time to take meaningful action on the local issues of safety and traffic flow along and entering and exiting the A55 in this area.

“Successive Welsh Labour transport ministers have acknowledged these problems for at least 20 years.

“Yet here we are in a key tourist destination, dependent on a fragile road network, with fundamental safety matters left unresolved – and this is without going into the issue of sheep escaping on to the A55, another matter that seems impossible to resolve.

“These concerns will remain a priority for me to address and I’d welcome a meeting with Welsh Government departments and ministers to discuss solutions that will benefit residents, businesses, and visitors to our region.”

Cabinet secretary for transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: “We’re currently procuring consultants to consider the safety, resilience, and sustainable transport opportunities on the A55 between Junctions 14 and 24. This will include Puffin Roundabout at Junction 16.”