Wrexham Council Responds To Industrial Estate Link Road Roadworks Complaints

Wrexham Council has responded to complaints that the new £30m industrial link road is still not completed.

A number of Wrexham.com forum users have voiced their anger that roadworks are still ongoing on the new road, despite it being officially opened last month.

‘store4sure’ said on our forums: “I thought it was too good to be true. As suspected Bryn Lane is due to be closed again on 14th August. Why can’t the contractors get their act together and finish just one section at a time instead of closing multiple roads at the same time.

“For the last few days Bryn Estyn Road has been restricted by traffic lights and yet nobody has been working there until this morning. Abenbury Way was also closed today from the roundabout and as far as I can see it is only one guy doing some work to the grass verge but he has left his trailer in the roadway rather than moving it a bit further down the road so people can pass it without the need for another un-advertised detour.”

‘cmaj76 added: “I’m really annoyed, as I posted in another thread. I can’t beleive the council’s back slapping and congratulating each other on finishing the road early, when it is plain to see that the road is not finished and does not look like it will be for some time.”

Wrexham Council said that the road is now certified as contractually complete, but that remedial works and landscape planting will be ongoing throughout the coming months.

John Bradbury, Head of Environment, said: “The formal opening ceremony took place on 16th August and after that date all the new sections of the access road were open to traffic, albeit that the works were not yet contractually complete.

“It was necessary to operate this “partial opening” in order to maintain traffic flows. This is why there has been some ongoing need in some locations to keep lane provision down to a single lane to bring these finishing works to a completion.

“Wrexham CBC recognises that this had led to some limited traffic congestion, particularly in the evening peak, whilst these remaining works are carried out, but it is clear that the network is already benefiting from from the new carriageways.

“For example, in order to make the transition from traffic flowing on the interim carriagway past the Gredington Arms and the Hanson concrete plant, to switch onto the new dual carriageway past Wrexham Golf Club, it was necessary to temporarily omit short sections of kerbing and final surface course at the immediate westbound approach to the new Holt Road Roundabout on A534. These works will be complete this week, but this will necessitate an overnight closure of the carriageway.

“Unlike a new motorway or a new tunnel, which can be fully completed, and remedial works resolved, before traffic is allowed on it, the industrial estate access road had to be partially opened to traffic – whilst still maintaining at least the original roadspace provision – to maintain traffic flows, whilst final completion was carried out under lane closures

“Contractual completion has now been certified, but even so there remain some inevitable minor remedial works to be carried out to ensure that the works are accepted, at the high standards required.

“The contract also includes landscape planting, which will further enhance the appearance and environmental demands of the scheme, but seasonal planting restrictions mean that this work cannot be carried out until the coming autumn. It is anticipated that this planting work will be commenced in October and complete by around Christmas.”