Wrexham Council provides update on Newbridge road repairs three years on from landslip
Wrexham Council has provided an update on the status of planned repairs to the B5605 in Newbridge.
Wrexham.com asked the local authority for details of when the long-awaited works will start as this month marks three years since the stretch of road between Newbridge and Cefn Mawr was closed.
Heavy downpours caused part of the road to collapse down an embankment during Storm Christoph in January 2021 and local residents have faced disruption ever since.
It has led to motorists being forced to take lengthy diversions to get to work or take their children to school.
The road serves as a busy route for local people and also acts as a diversion from the A483 bypass.
However the lack of diversion from the bypass lead to congestion and long delays in Llangollen earlier this week when the A483 and A5 were temporarily closed due to high winds.
Wrexham Council was awarded £2.8 million by the Welsh Government to carry out the vital repairs in April 2022 following complex geo-technical surveys and a cost analysis.
In June last year, a contractor was appointed to carry out the repair work after a prolonged process.
However, councillors expressed concerns after being told work would not start until February 2024 at the earliest.
This came despite the council initially informing them the road would be reopened by the end of 2023.
Questioned about the issue at a media briefing this week, the council’s deputy leader David A Bithell said he believed that design work for the scheme had yet to be completed.
He said: “I attended a meeting with the trunk road agency last week and I did ask for an update on where we are.
“My understanding is that the procurement went out and there was a preferred contractor annonced.
“They’re in the process of design, and then when the design is completed, the next step is to approve the design and get on site for construction.”
The council previously acknowledged that the procurement process had taken “longer than expected”.
It followed much finger pointing from both the council and Welsh Government over who was responsible for the delays, with both parties blaming one another.
Councillor Terry Evans, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Environment, said: “A contractor has been appointed to carry out the repairs to the Newbridge Road and we hope to have a further public update in the near future.
“We recognise the problems road users face due to the closure of this road but can assure everyone that we are progressing everything as quickly as possible.”
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