Posted: Wed 21st Jun 2017

A5 Chirk to Fully Reopen by ‘Friday Morning at The Latest’

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jun 21st, 2017

The northbound stretch of the A5 in Chirk is expected to reopen fully by ‘Friday morning at the latest’.

The road has been partially closed since Monday evening after a two vehicle collision meant repair work had to be undertaken to the road’s crash barriers.

One woman was cut free from her vehicle as a result of the collision, which took place near the bridge over the River Ceiriog.

As a result of the collision both lanes were closed overnight on Monday while repair works took place.

The southbound lane reopened at 7am on Tuesday 20th June, however a written statement released by Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure notes that the road will fully reopen by Friday at the latest.

Initial reports suggested the road would fully reopen today, however in his statement Mr Skates notes that the contractors are currently involved in other projects, including the installation of barriers in London following the recent terror attacks.

He writes: “On Monday 19 June a further incident beyond our control took place on the A5 at Chirk. The road was closed in both directions following a collision on the Ceiriog viaduct and local diversions were put in place.

“We were able to put in measures to allow the southbound carriageway to reopen shortly afterwards but the northbound carriageway will need to remain closed for the time being with local diversions in place to allow temporary barriers to be sourced and be placed in front of the damaged parapet.

“My officials are working to source specialist contractors to install the barriers, however, it is our understanding that the contractors are currently involved in other projects including installing barriers in London following recent incidents there.

“Despite this, we are optimistic of having the road open by Friday morning at the latest. My officials have been working hard and challenging our supply chain to undertake these repairs and reopen the northbound carriageway as soon as possible.”

He later continues onto say that the potential to extend Traffic Officer service, which deals with around 1000 incidents a month, to cover the A483 from the Posthouse Roundabout to the Gledrid Roundabout in Chirk is being explored.

In his letter Mr Skates also addresses recent disruption across the trunk road network in North Wales, including a two vehicle collision on the A55 near St Asaph on June 16th and an incident on June 3rd on the A55 at Bodelwyddan which involved concerns for a person’s safety.

As a result of the three separate incidents and road closures, Mr Skates notes that he has asked his ‘officials to report to him before summer recess with recommendations on how we can improve our response to the repair of damage on the network’.

This includes examining how the response to repairing damage on the trunk road network can be improved and working with North Wales Police to improve communication during incidents.

He continues onto say: “It is important to note that the safety of the travelling public remains my primary responsibility and concern in these unplanned situations. However, I am aware that there has been criticism in the press and on social media as some of the delays caused by these incidents were severe. There are clearly lessons to be learnt.

“Therefore, I have asked my officials to report to me before summer recess with recommendations on how we can improve our response to the repair of damage on the network. They will investigate options and costs for providing an improved emergency response to the many scenarios we face during unforeseen incidents.

“My officials will also be undertaking discussions with North Wales Police with a view to improving communication during incidents and maximising the use of emergency crossing points, where available.

“Despite this series of unfortunate incidents which have occurred in an unusually short space of time, I would like to make clear that we do all we can to minimise disruption on the network during the summer. We have a planned daytime road works embargo from Easter to September from junction 11 at Llandygai to the English Border, and from junction 11 to Holyhead during the main summer holiday period.

“Our Traffic Officer service plays an important role in maintaining the resilience of the network. The service operates extended hours on bank holiday peak periods and currently deals with some 1,000 incidents per month. I have asked that we look at the potential to extend the service to cover the A483 from Chester Posthouse roundabout to Gledrid roundabout at Chirk.

“Over the past four years we have carried out imperative improvement work to tunnels on the A55, road surface improvements, flood alleviation and urgent maintenance work. The investment in improving the condition of our roads and the major proposals we have in the pipeline to address congestion points on the network will greatly improve the travelling experience along the A55. I am, however, determined to look beyond these interventions, ensuring journeys along the A55 are as reliable as possible, delivering for local people, businesses and visitors alike.

“The resilience study I am commissioning will help determine how best to achieve this. My intention is to look again at all aspects of the road, identifying where and how best to improve the travel experience and how to minimise the frequency and impact of incidents and breakdowns.

“This will complement existing plans for improvements whilst continuing to ensure the disruption of road works is kept to an absolute minimum.”

*Thanks to Francesco for the top picture of where the work is taking place



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