Welsh Government should look at building crawler lanes on a hilly section of the A55. That’s the request from Delyn MS Hannah Blythyn who believes it should be part of a major investment in the A55.
The Senedd member and former minister said the expressway is the gateway to the region and a key component of the North Wales economy. She thinks more could be done to tackle “pinch-points” on the dual carriageway.
There is already a crawler lane on the eastbound side of the A55 at Rhuallt Hill. Crawler lanes allow slow moving traffic – like lorries – to move aside for faster moving vehicles, particularly on hills.
Ms Blythyn thinks that the areas around Halkyn would benefit from crawler lanes. These are some of the highest points on the A55 – with Brynford, near Holywell, reportedly the highest spot at 790ft.
While not quite as steep as Rhuallt Hill it does mean a decent gradient for drivers with the politician saying crawler lanes could help this particular “pinch-point”.
She raised this and general A55 investment with First Minister Eluned Morgan in the Senedd this week. She said: “I’m old enough, sadly, to remember the infrastructure that predated the A55 and when it was so bad that, on a trip to our caravan in Anglesey, my mum could get out of the car, do a bit of shopping and then walk and reach us again still in the traffic jam going through Conwy.
“But that said, today, the A55 remains the main gateway into north Wales and is a crucial connection for residents and visitors alike, one that is also a key component for the economic infrastructure for our part of the country. There are things we can do to improve and enhance this existing road infrastructure that would both address so-called pinch-points and also bring broader benefits.
“Felly(Therefore) , Prif Weinidog, could I urge the Welsh Government, perhaps in partnership with the UK Government and, of course, involving local decision makers, to prioritise consideration for practical and innovative improvement to the A55, such as looking at crawler lanes around the Halkyn area, measures to mitigate accidents and also alleviating the knock-on impacts of breakdowns, which is currently an issue for many.”
North Wales MS Sam Rowlands also raised the issue of A55 investment. He said: “Heads of the Valleys road here in south Wales is reaching completion, as the most expensive road in Wales—around £2 billion-worth of spending. My residents in north Wales are asking where is the £2 billion-worth of spending on roads up in north Wales.
“We know that there’s a huge opportunity to unleash the economy of north Wales through investment on the A55, investment on the A483 around Wrexham in particular, and investment on a third crossing over to Ynys Môn to meet the needs of people on the island as well. So, First Minister, could you provide clarity as to when north Wales is going to receive the levels of investment needed to unleash the economy that is so desperately needed.”
In response to Mr Rowlands, the First Minister said: “I can assure you that we are investing in the road infrastructure in north Wales. I’ll just give you some examples: the River Dee bridge replacement, which is not an insignificant investment; the Menai crossing resilience improvements; the Wrexham multimodal corridor improvements and city-centre connectivity. There is also £20 million-worth of funding to invest in transport priorities across the region, including in Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Wrexham and Ynys Môn.”
To the issue raised by Ms Blythyn, she added: “What’s going to happen next is that the regional transport plans are going to be developed, providing a strategic approach. What we’re going to see is joined-up working at a regional level, and the corporate joint committees are currently drafting their plans.
“So, it’s about bringing those authorities together, getting them to make sure that they work with our technical advice officials to make sure that they get the support they need in developing these plans and to make sure that they also align with the Wales transport strategy.”
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