Welsh Government verdict on if A483 junctions will be improved “will be published shortly”

Wrexham will know ‘shortly’ if we will likely have large scale upgrades to some or part of the A483 junctions around the city.

The works have been on the cards for several years, delayed by the pandemic, with Ken Skates MS announcing back in 2018 funding for congestion improvements.

More recently this year a long option assessment saw ‘preferred routes’ published after consultations took place – with Welsh Government saying that the plans for the bypass “would improve access into Wrexham, improve journey times and provide new active travel links for local residents. The proposals being presented can be constructed and delivered with minimal impact on existing traffic.”

Possible junction improvement on the A483

It is hoped improvements to Junction 4 could support three employment sites within a 2 km distance of the A483, with “….the potential to create 1,454 net jobs and approximately £64.4 million of GVA per annum”.

Welsh Government are now conducting a roads review, with the A483 junction work on the lists, “to reduce Wales’s carbon footprint to protect people and wildlife from the climate emergency” with a roads review panel convened to assess the lists to decide which projects will be taken forward or effectively scrapped.

In September the panel said their review had been completed with a ‘comprehensive and detailed piece of work’ submitted back to Welsh Government.

The issue was raised last week in the Senedd by Clwyd South MS Ken Skates asked Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters MS, “Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s review of junction improvements on the A483?”

Lee Waters MS replied, “The roads review panel has submitted its final report to the Welsh Government about its findings for each of the road schemes that it has reviewed, and this includes the A483 junctions 3-6 improvements. I will be making a further announcement on the next steps of the roads review by the end of the month.”

As the end of the month arrived yesterday the ‘further announcement’ was made with Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters MS, giving a further statement.

Mr Waters said, “In September 2022, I published a written statement about the final report of the Roads Review panel. I would like to thank the chair Dr Lynn Sloman and the panel members for their hard work and dedication for this comprehensive and important report.”

“The Roads Review makes recommendations about future transport policy as well as judging the 55 roads schemes in the current pipeline against existing policy.”

“Responding to the recommendations is a complex piece of work which has been further complicated by the significant reduction in our spending power following the UK Government’s financial crash. As a result of the Autumn Statement the Welsh Government’s capital budgets will be 8.1% lower in 2024-25.”

“It is important that we now reconsider our full response to the Roads Review in light of the deteriorating fiscal and economic situation we have been placed in by the UK Government.”

“We will set out our response, together with those schemes which we will be taking forward, in our National Transport Delivery Plan, which will be published shortly.”

The national transport delivery plan 2022 to 2027 is the first 5 year delivery plan for the Welsh Government to implement Llwybr Newydd: The Wales Transport Strategy 2021.

There does not appear to be a date set for when that will emerge, with the draft document published this year with a typo referring to the non-existent “A493 Wrexham Bypass Junction 3 to 6″ project due 2024 to 2027 – and an ‘ambition for 4 trains per hour between Wrexham and Liverpool via Bidston’ which as we reported yesterday will be two.

Commenting on the statement yesterday Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar MS said: “The way the Labour Government is going about their roadbuilding freeze is driving people mad.”

“It is astonishing that Lee Waters thinks it is acceptable to put infrastructure projects that drive growth, business, and jobs in Wales on hold and then has the cheek to blame the UK Conservative Government who have long highlighted the folly of banning roadbuilding.”

“We know that the current economic situation has been caused by an increase in global energy prices, the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, and Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine, so Labour should lay the blame there and accept that they are responsible that no roads have been built in over a year in Wales.”

“Labour is on road to nowhere – it is time to put aside the dogma and build the roads Wales needs.”

(Top pic, a lack of clarity on the A483)