logo
A494 closures start next week to fix 1,400 potholes

A494 closures start next week to fix 1,400 potholes

A major programme to repair potholes on some of Wales' main roads gets underway in Flintshire next week. More than 1,400 potholes are to be fixed on a 5km stretch of the A494 Mold bypass.
The work forms part of a £25m road maintenance scheme announced by the Welsh Government earlier this month. In total, work is to take place at 22 road sections on the national network.
The initiative aims to improve more than 100km of road whilst removing around 30,000 potholes. The repair blitz is also targeting the A470, where more than 1,000 potholes are fixed along a 3.4km stretch near Caersws, Powys.
Resurfacing work means disruption for drivers, and the A494 Mold bypass is to be closed initially for five nights from June 2. The closures, for 'essential carriageway maintenance' will be in place between 7pm and 6am each night. Traffic will be diverted via A5119, A541 and B444.
Another series of night-time closures are scheduled from June 12. During the works, day time operations will continue with convoy traffic management in place.
Phase 1 closures
June 2 -4: New Brighton roundabout to Wylfa roundabout
June 4-5: Wylfa roundabout to Bromfield roundabout
June 5-7: Bromfield roundabout to Gwernymynydd roundabout
A Traffic Wales spokesperson said: 'Surface treatment works are planned from overnight with closures and diversions in place on June 2 through to the 7th. Day time working will be in place in two phases from June 4 to the 16th, with convoy traffic management in place.
'Further road marking replacement is planned with overnight closures and diversions between June 12 and 18. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
'These works are in place to ensure existing road defects such as potholes are fixed and also that the road surface is sealed to prevent future pothole formation for the next 10-15 years.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Live: Vehicle fire causing delays on A55 near Llanddulas
Live: Vehicle fire causing delays on A55 near Llanddulas

North Wales Live

time9 hours ago

  • North Wales Live

Live: Vehicle fire causing delays on A55 near Llanddulas

A vehicle fire has led to queues of traffic in the A55 near Llanddulas in Conwy county. This is a breaking news story. We will bring you all the latest as we get it via the live blog below. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. If you have some information you can contact us by following our Twitter feed @northwaleslive - the official North Wales Live account - real news in real time. Or like - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the North Wales Live. Don't forget you can also keep up to date with the latest via the free North Wales Live app. Download it for Apple devices here and Android devices here.

people watch on as rows erupt on infamous 'Swearing Bridge'
people watch on as rows erupt on infamous 'Swearing Bridge'

Wales Online

time12 hours ago

  • Wales Online

people watch on as rows erupt on infamous 'Swearing Bridge'

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info For best views of the action, locals recommend the Tu Hunt i'r Bont tearoom or the Eagles beer garden. From here, there's a reasonable chance of seeing a 'hilarious' row erupting on Llanrwst's 17th Century bridge over the Afon Conwy. For as long as anyone can remember, High Noon showdowns have been taking place on the apex of a humpback bridge that's a Welsh icon. When drivers approach the single-lane bridge, there's no way of knowing if a vehicle is also crossing from the opposite direction. A recent video shared online showed the inevitable outcome: two motorists gesticulating, each insisting they have right of way. A few hours later, an almost identical scenario played out, this time involving a truck and a queue of cars. Some residents shake their heads sadly, others draw up their seats and watch the unfolding dramas. 'Who needs Netflix...?' noted one man online. Another added: 'We used to sit on the bridge watching them argue, it was fun!' Impasses on Pont Fawr bridge are part of local folklore – so much so that it's been dubbed Pont y Rhegi (The Swearing Bridge). One celebrated individual used to arbitrate disputes and for a while the bad language dissipated. Attempts to find a solution have done little to ease the problems. Sensors embedded in the bridge asphalt near the A470 trigger a flashing amber light on the other side of the bridge, warning oncoming drivers to stop. But by then it's often too late: two or more drivers are trundling towards each other en route to yet another Mexican stand-off. Regular users have long lived by the rule of 'first to the top wins' – first to the apex has the right of way and the other motorist must reverse off the bridge. 'I've reversed 6 times in a row before now,' sighed a local woman. 'Saves arguments.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now It's not a perfect system and increasing numbers of tourists not familiar with the local rule means the number of stand-offs is on the rise. There are other issues too: as well as endangering pedestrians on the bridge, drivers reversing onto the A470 are contravening Highway Code rule 201, which advises motorists not to back up onto main roads. Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders has asked the Welsh Government to intervene on 'numerous occasions'. 'Our understanding is that Conwy Council was working with the Welsh Government to find solutions for the A470 side of the bridge,' said a spokesperson for her office. 'But in the last 12 months we've heard nothing, so Janet will be raising further questions in the hope of reducing the risk of bridge stand-offs in the future.' (Image: Wayne Thorley) A joint project between local and national government was announced in February 2024 by Lee Waters, the former deputy minister for climate change. Its main aim was to assess new A470 and pavement markings to prevent turning vehicles from scraping the bridge parapet. The study, which would also examine traffic priorities, was 'subject to prioritisation and funding'. Former Llanrwst mayor Cllr Mostyn Jones, now chair of the town's finance committee, would prefer a solution involving three-way traffic lights – one on the Trefriw side, the other two on the A470. The latter pair would need to be sited so as to give sufficient room for traffic turning on and off the bridge. It follows years of bridge strikes by long-axis vehicles: the most recent involved a coach said to have sent mortar tumbling into the river last week. (Image: Google) Worried about constant repairs to a listed structure and a scheduled ancient monument, Cllr Jones has been lobbying heritage body Cadw for action. While Pont Fawr's 18-stone limit can accommodate two-axle HGVs and coaches, its narrow nature means slight misjudgements can have serious impacts. 'For the last two or three years I've been complaining to Cadw about the poor state of the bridge,' he said. 'With the high volume of traffic now seen in the Conwy Valley, a sustainable solution needs to be found urgently. 'Pedestrians use the bridge and we've seen that funding can be sourced for active travel schemes. A list of potential ideas must be drawn up and put out for public consultation.' Booming tourism in Eryri has brought more traffic into the Conwy Valley and its road infrastructure can struggle to cope. Notoriously, all four river crossings between Conwy town and Betws-y-Coed involve either single-lane bridges (Pont Fawr and Pont-y-Pair) or single-lane approaches (Talycafn and the Conwy town wall arch). 'There needs to be a more strategic approach to getting traffic across the river from the west side of the valley,' added Cllr Jones. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox See what's on in your area

'Better than Netflix' - people watch on as rows erupt on infamous 'Swearing Bridge'
'Better than Netflix' - people watch on as rows erupt on infamous 'Swearing Bridge'

North Wales Live

time15 hours ago

  • North Wales Live

'Better than Netflix' - people watch on as rows erupt on infamous 'Swearing Bridge'

For best views of the action, locals recommend the Tu Hunt i'r Bont tearoom or the Eagles beer garden. From here, there's a reasonable chance of seeing a 'hilarious' row erupting on Llanrwst's 17th Century bridge over the Afon Conwy. For as long as anyone can remember, High Noon showdowns have been taking place on the apex of a humpback bridge that's a Welsh icon. When drivers approach the single-lane bridge, there's no way of knowing if a vehicle is also crossing from the opposite direction. A recent video shared online showed the inevitable outcome: two motorists gesticulating, each insisting they have right of way. A few hours later, an almost identical scenario played out, this time involving a truck and a queue of cars. Some residents shake their heads sadly, others draw up their seats and watch the unfolding dramas. 'Who needs Netflix...?' noted one man online. Another added: 'We used to sit on the bridge watching them argue, it was fun!' Impasses on Pont Fawr bridge are part of local folklore – so much so that it's been dubbed Pont y Rhegi (The Swearing Bridge). One celebrated individual used to arbitrate disputes and for a while the bad language dissipated. Attempts to find a solution have done little to ease the problems. Sensors embedded in the bridge asphalt near the A470 trigger a flashing amber light on the other side of the bridge, warning oncoming drivers to stop. But by then it's often too late: two or more drivers are trundling towards each other en route to yet another Mexican stand-off. Regular users have long lived by the rule of 'first to the top wins' – first to the apex has the right of way and the other motorist must reverse off the bridge. 'I've reversed 6 times in a row before now,' sighed a local woman. 'Saves arguments.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now It's not a perfect system and increasing numbers of tourists not familiar with the local rule means the number of stand-offs is on the rise. There are other issues too: as well as endangering pedestrians on the bridge, drivers reversing onto the A470 are contravening Highway Code rule 201, which advises motorists not to back up onto main roads. Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders has asked the Welsh Government to intervene on 'numerous occasions'. 'Our understanding is that Conwy Council was working with the Welsh Government to find solutions for the A470 side of the bridge,' said a spokesperson for her office. 'But in the last 12 months we've heard nothing, so Janet will be raising further questions in the hope of reducing the risk of bridge stand-offs in the future.' A joint project between local and national government was announced in February 2024 by Lee Waters, the former deputy minister for climate change. Its main aim was to assess new A470 and pavement markings to prevent turning vehicles from scraping the bridge parapet. The study, which would also examine traffic priorities, was 'subject to prioritisation and funding'. Former Llanrwst mayor Cllr Mostyn Jones, now chair of the town's finance committee, would prefer a solution involving three-way traffic lights – one on the Trefriw side, the other two on the A470. The latter pair would need to be sited so as to give sufficient room for traffic turning on and off the bridge. It follows years of bridge strikes by long-axis vehicles: the most recent involved a coach said to have sent mortar tumbling into the river last week. Worried about constant repairs to a listed structure and a scheduled ancient monument, Cllr Jones has been lobbying heritage body Cadw for action. While Pont Fawr's 18-stone limit can accommodate two-axle HGVs and coaches, its narrow nature means slight misjudgements can have serious impacts. 'For the last two or three years I've been complaining to Cadw about the poor state of the bridge,' he said. 'With the high volume of traffic now seen in the Conwy Valley, a sustainable solution needs to be found urgently. 'Pedestrians use the bridge and we've seen that funding can be sourced for active travel schemes. A list of potential ideas must be drawn up and put out for public consultation.' Booming tourism in Eryri has brought more traffic into the Conwy Valley and its road infrastructure can struggle to cope. Notoriously, all four river crossings between Conwy town and Betws-y-Coed involve either single-lane bridges (Pont Fawr and Pont-y-Pair) or single-lane approaches (Talycafn and the Conwy town wall arch). 'There needs to be a more strategic approach to getting traffic across the river from the west side of the valley,' added Cllr Jones.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store