Ken Skates keen to explore further A55 improvements

Recent years and months have seen the Welsh Government make significant improvements to the road but the Economy Secretary was keen to stress that more needs to be done in order for the road to best serve as a key artery across North Wales and beyond.

Ken Skates said:

“Last month saw the culmination of four years of imperative improvement work to tunnels on the A55, and this is alongside recent road surface improvements, flood alleviation work and urgent maintenance work.

“Following the completion of these improvements, all maintenance and improvement works for the medium to long term can now be carried out overnight, when disruptions are minimal. I’ve been clear that only emergency work will disrupt passengers during the day this summer, banning any planned daytime roadwork between J11 and the English border until September at the earliest. 

“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 locals, 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 roadworks are kept to an absolute minimum. 

“Over 70,000 cars use sections of the A55 at peak times and this study will help the Welsh Government continue to drive improvements, ensuring the A55 copes with demand and helps facilitate a strong and forward looking North Wales economy.”

The resilience study will look at the whole network from Holyhead to Post House junction and the first stage of the work is intended to be completed late summer, feeding into the existing schedule for improvements commencing from September.