WIREDGOV

Public information exhibitions will be held to show how the Welsh Government is looking at options to improve the A483 between Junction 3 and 6 in Wrexham, Economy and Transport Minister Ken Skates has announced.

The A483 provides one of the key connecting routes between North and South Wales as well as with England and work has already been carried out to outline the issues affecting the corridor and the main contributory factors.

A list of possible solutions is being developed and assessed, which identifies the A483 corridor between junction 3 and 6, and associated junctions, as key areas for improvement. Further work will be carried out on these proposals.

The options which are being developed aim to improve safety, resilience and journey time reliability on the A483, provide better east-west connectivity across the route and reduce incidents and delays.

Scheme objectives also include supporting public transport and active travel provision to reduce personal vehicle use which will also improve air quality, especially between junction 5 and 6.

The A483 Wrexham Bypass junction 3 to 6 is a pinch point scheme included in the Welsh Government’s National Transport Finance Plan and the Moving North Wales Forward strategy.

The public exhibitions will allow people to view further information about the scheme and meet the Project Team who will be able to answer any questions. They are being held on Tuesday 25 June and Thursday 27 June in the Catrin Finch Centre on the Glyndwr University campus in Wrexham. On 25 June, the exhibition will be open between 10am and 6pm, and on 27 June from 1pm until 8pm.

During this summer, potential options will be further developed and assessed using the WelTAG (Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance) process. A public consultation on a short list of proposals will then begin before Christmas 2019.

Economy and Transport Minister Ken Skates recently said:

Ensuring a reliable and efficient road network is a key priority for the Welsh Government and that’s why action must be taken to resolve existing issues affecting the A483 between Junction 3 and 6.

Being a regular user of this section of the road, I fully understand the present issues and recent studies have found that current traffic congestion on the route is a constraint to everyday commuting as well as the economic growth aspirations in Wrexham. It’s important to note that doing nothing to improve the situation will impact residents and businesses in the area now and in the future.

We are currently working on a range of options to improve this part of the A483, however we also want to work constructively with local residents and those who use the road to fully consider how this corridor and four junctions are currently used and will be used going forward.

The public exhibitions are an excellent way of finding out more about this important scheme, why it is needed and how solutions are being developed. I’d encourage everyone with an interest to go along to the Catrin Finch Centre on the dates the information sessions are being held.