A483 Wont Become Toll Road In New Trial

Midday Update: Of course it is April 1st and the below was our ‘april fool’, which most people twigged! There is no toll to be placed on the A483, and if anyone gets any ideas to try something like that out they should check the replies from some who fell for this!

The Welsh Government has announced this morning that the A483 has been selected to be one of three roads in the UK to take part in the ‘Toll Road Trial’.

The A483 ‘Wrexham Bypass’ will come under the new toll road legislation from Junction 7 for Rossett all the way south to the start of the A483 where it meets the A5 by Chirk. This means it will become chargeable to travel along the road, via a toll collected by cash or ‘eTag’ system for regular travellers.

The £130 million trials including the A483, the A47 Swaffham road in Norfolk and the A461 by Tipton are all set to start in 2014. Work to construct the 63 toll booths and plazas along the Wrexham route will begin later this year.

The eTag system that local residents will be encouraged to use.

Roads Minister John Loudon McAdam said “What this trial will show is if drivers want a choice. They dont have to use the road but it will be there if they want it”.

“There are lots of minor roads and other routes that people could take, and not just in the Wrexham area, but around the country. A toll is shown to reduce traffic numbers and make people think twice about using their cars. Anyone who has used the bypass at peak times knows it can be congested”.

“But I think it is useful that people can choose whether or not to pay it.”

Clive Atkins from ‘noTOLLerated’ , an anti-road pricing group, said “It is a disgrace that the trial scheme has had the go ahead, it is a return to the bad old days of Turnpikes.”

Wrexham.com asked The Minister what it would cost the average commuter to travel the full length of the A483 past Wrexham however we were told ‘We do not have exact pricing yet’.

One insider did say that they thought pricing would be in line with other roads, “To take the M6 Toll it is about £5.40 for a car, obviously for people coming in from Cheshire things could be priced a little higher.”

If successful it is thought similar road pricing models will be rolled out nationwide.

What do you think about the A483 becoming a toll road? Click here to discuss it in our forums…