Calls for urgent action over ‘dangerous’ A525 / A483 junction

Wrexham’s Assembly Members have called on Wrexham Council to take urgent action and improve safety at a dangerous junction and local accident hotspot.

Ken Skates and Lesley Griffiths say council officials must take action at the A525 flyover at junction four of the A483, the Ruthin Road interchange.

Mr Skates, AM for Clwyd South, described the road as “dangerous” and says he has made “repeated representations to Wrexham Council”.

In recent years there have been a number of serious collisions in the area, with a motorcyclist sadly killed on the stretch of road in May 2018.

In a bid to highlight the need for improved road safety on the junction, Mr Skates has been working with former council employee, Mike Jones, from Minera.

Mr Jones believes the council should introduce a green arrow light on the right-hand filter lane to the A483 sliproad to Oswestry to reduce the risk of collisions with vehicles travelling at high speed from Wrexham towards Coedpoeth.

He also wants CCTV cameras installed at the site, but says his pleas to the council ‘have fallen on deaf ears’.

However Wrexham Council has dismissed the suggestion, saying in a letter to Mr Skates ‘it is very unlikely to make any significant impact in changing the driving behaviour’.

Wrexham AM Mrs Griffiths said: “Drivers will be well aware the A483/A525 junction is awkward, complicated and extremely busy.

“I encourage the local authority to act swiftly – a satisfactory solution must be found which improves road safety and traffic flow.” 

Mr Skates said the Welsh Government has its own plans for reducing traffic at the junction, which is a well-known local pinch-point.

“Feasibility studies have been carried out with the aim of reducing congestion and providing additional capacity between junctions three and six of the A483, as well as improving safety. This will be major infrastructure project for our area,” he said.

“A shortlist of options has been identified and Welsh Government officials are currently in the process of the next stage of the study, which will be to identify the preferred option. 

“Traffic surveys have been commissioned and the data will be used to inform which option should be taken forward to detailed design stage.”

Mr Skates said the study will include a public consultation exercise, the arrangements for which will be advertised widely in the near future.

Responding to the comments, Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Wrexham CBC have been in dialogue and this continues with the Welsh Government on investigating options to improve links and capacity with the A483 Trunk Rd through Wrexham.

“Strategic junction improvements on the trunk road network are a matter for the Welsh Government to consider as Highway Authority for these routes and Wrexham CBC are continuing to work with the Welsh Government to achieve our joint aspirations for improvements.”

At a recent even in the town centre Ken Skates spoke of how pinch points on the A483 should be addressed in the next three years, which were indicated to include ‘improvements to key junctions’ such as Junction 4.