Re-blog: Improving links between North West England and North Wales

A version of this article was published in Rail Magazine in December 2021

As someone who lives on the Wirral and frequently travels to North Wales via the A494 through Queensferry, and has been a committee member of the Wrexham-Bidston Rail User's Association for a number of years, I'm well aware of current poor transport connections between North West England and North Wales. The bridge which carries the A494 over the River Dee and on to the A55 was used by 60,000 vehicles a day before the Pandemic. So, knowing how busy the A494 can get, particularly during school holidays and on Fridays before bank holidays when people flock to North Wales, I supported a proposal to build a new link road from the A548 Flintshire bridge to the A55, a proposal known as the "Red Route".

You may be wondering what if anything roads have to do with railways? Well, recently my support for the "Red Route" has started to wane, especially as awareness of the climate emergency has grown. However despite the pandemic, the A494 often still gets incredibly congested and in 2020 particularly with many people holidaying in the UK, it seemed as if the A494/A55 was busier than ever. Even so, the Welsh Government may be right to cancel the "Red Route". But it does beg the question, how are the aims of the Union connectivity review which was published in December 2021 going to be delivered if not by upgrading road connections? The report led by Sir Peter Hendy sought to identify ways of improving connectivity between the 4 UK nations and recommended that the Westminster works “with the Welsh Government to undertake a multimodal review of the North Wales transport corridor”

The four-lane bridge which carries the A494 over the River Dee is set to be replaced, with work due to begin in 2024/25 and as the proposal falls under renewals is not subject to the same environmental review as the Red Route. The bridge replacement will see an additional lane in each direction added to the A494 which may relieve congestion in the short term. However, the only long-term solution to improve links would be to build the new link road to the A55.

Map showing the road and rail links between England and North Wales

If new roads aren't the answer then the only other alternative is to improve rail links between the two nations, which are the North Wales Coast Line, the Wrexham-Bidston (Borderlands) Line and Shrewsbury-Chester Line. The latter was recently partially re-double between Chester and Wrexham General, however, the Wrexham-Bidston and North Wales Coast Line are in dire need of upgrades and are currently underutilised. The hourly Transport for Wales service from Manchester to North Wales is often crowded and fares are relatively expensive, also the hourly service on the Borderlands Line isn't viewed as a reliable means of travelling between North East Wales and Liverpool.

North Wales Coast services will be given a boost in December 2023 when TfW plans to introduce an hourly Liverpool to Llandudno service which will use new Class 197 DMUs that are now being introduced. The CAF-built units are being introduced on TfW's long-distance service, such as Manchester to Llandudno Junction and Manchester to South Wales. The introduction of Class 197s and rakes of Mk4 carriages will allow TfW to operate five-car trains between Manchester and South Wales, but TfW is yet to decide if the new stock will allow the operator to improve capacity between Manchester and North Wales. If passengers travelling between Manchester and North Wales are to benefit from the introduction of new units then TfW must operate more four-car (2x2) or three-car services as a minimum. Even in this post-pandemic era, operating two-car trains between Manchester and North Wales is simply unacceptable.

Class 197 002 on display at Chester Station

TfW also plan to introduce a new Liverpool to Shrewsbury via Wrexham General service from December 2024, which will be extended to Cardiff every two hours. The Liverpool to Shrewsbury will be an extension of the current Liverpool to Chester via Halton Curve service and be coupled to the Llandudno service as far as Chester, where the two units will split, with one unit going to Llandudno, whilst the other travels to Shrewsbury/Cardiff. The Llandudno service is set to begin in December this year (2023), whilst the Shrewsbury/Cardiff service isn't due to commence until December 2024 and is subject to capacity improvements being completed between Wrexham and Shrewsbury.

As well as improved connectivity between Liverpool and North Wales the new service to Llandudno will also improve connectivity at Shotton, as currently, only one North Wales Coast service per hour calls at Shotton low-level and one Borderlands Line train per hour calls at high-level. With two trains per hour calling at both high-level and low-level the interchange possibilities between the two lines will be vastly improved.

Whilst the Borderlands line isn't currently viewed as a reliable means to travel between Liverpool and NE Wales, the line will hopefully see improvements as the delayed increase in the frequency of the service from one, to two trains per hour is finally set to begin this year. Thankfully the ORR has settled the dispute between TfW who wanted to increase the frequency and GBRf who wanted more freight paths into the cement works at Padeswood. However, a proposed compromise will see gaps in the half-hourly service during the day to allow freight movements into and out of Padeswood. 

The only thing holding up the half-hourly service now is the entry into service of the much-delayed Class 230s, which have been dogged by technical issues, the Pandemic and last year the unit's manufacturer going into administration. However, TfW who owns the Class 230s seems to have come to an agreement regarding maintenance and Class 230s which have once again started driver training on the line. In addition to the gaps during the day, the additional service will be a skip-stop service and will cut out a number of stations between Gwersyllt and Shotton. This isn't to do with freight however, but based on concerns about hitting a specific reliability target, as the turnaround of the current service is already very tight.

The interior of Class 230 which was converted from redundant D78 stock

In the long term groups such as the WBRUA and Growth Track 360 would like to see four trains per hour operating from Wrexham directly through into Liverpool and if the trial of the battery variant of the Class 777 is successful, then this may be a real possibility. This could be quite expensive, as it would require additional infrastructure, such as rapid charging via 3rd rail at the Wrexham end of the line, the installation of additional block sections, particularly between Penyffordd and Dee Marsh and of course additional battery Class 777s IPEMUs (independently powered electrical multiple units) to be ordered.

Class 777 002 on display at Rail Live

Providing additional capacity is one thing, but fare prices may also be a barrier for many people and there does seem to be a disparity between the cost of fares offered by TfW and other TOCs, and between North and South Wales. In 2019 a BBC investigation found that it cost 41p per mile to travel from Flint to Bangor, in contrast, it cost just 27p per mile to travel from Swansea to Cardiff Central. I believe strongly that somehow prices need to be reduced and simplified for passengers travelling between NW England and N Wales in order to drive any meaningful modal shift from road to rail.

Returning to the UCR, the document itself seems to be lacking in detail and there doesn't appear to be any concrete plans for improving cross-border links, instead, it suggests that Westminster and the Welsh Government should investigate ways of improving connectivity. Very little attention is given to freight but does recognise the importance of the M56, A494 and A55 and the link they provide to the port of Holyhead, which moved 5.3 million tonnes of freight and 1.9 people between the mainland and Dublin in 2019.

Brexit will undoubtedly continue to have an impact on EU freight travelling between ports in the east of England to Dublin via Holyhead, but the port will remain an important and heavily used link between the mainland and Ireland. In my view, the DfT should explore options for providing container handling facilities near to the port to reduce HGV traffic travelling from England to Holyhead. That way at least freight could be transported to Holyhead by rail and then transferred to HGVs which can then be loaded onto ferry services. Building a container port at Holyhead would possibly be a better solution, but ultimately not easily achievable.

One thing is clear if more capacity is to be provided for passenger and freight services then the North Wales Mainline should be electrified and signalling upgraded. It's unlikely that there would be much capacity for additional services beyond those already proposed by TfW and Avanti. Electrification also provides the potential for HS2 classic compatible services to use the North Wales Coast Line, rather than the current proposals which would see passengers from North Wales having to change trains at Crewe to access HS2 services heading to the capital. Although it should be pointed out that even with the interchange at Crewe passengers from North Wales could still see a significant reduction in journey times for N Wales to London when compared to direct services via the WCML.

It does finally appear as if improved rail links between NW England and N Wales are on the horizon, but I do not believe the current pipeline of improvements on their own will be enough to have any meaningful impact on thousands of daily trips made by car between the two nations. I believe that much more investment will be needed to further improve rail links combined with a review of fares to try to simplify and bring down the costs in order to drive the considerable shift from road to rail that is needed if the UK is to achieve its net-zero goals.

Twitter - Facebook - Youtube

Reblog: D Train (Class 230), from passionate supporter to future passenger [2021 update]

First published in Rail magazine in 2019

In 2014 I become aware of an idea to fit diesel engines to redundant London Underground stock, an idea which if proposed by anyone else would have seemed, well a bit out-there. However this idea was proposed by Adrian Shooter, the highly respected ex chairman of Chiltern Railways, who decided to try to help solve the looming shortage of DMUs.

By November 2014 Vivarail chaired by Mr Shooter had begun purchasing ex LU D78 stock intended for conversion to DEMUs. In total 156 driving motor and 70 trailer vehicles were purchased and taken to Long Marston. Reaction from the industry was mixed and the mainstream media's response was harsh. I can remember it being said that "we don't want cast offs from the London" when it was suggested they could be used by Northern.

However, negative press reaction wasn't enough to deter Vivarail from pressing ahead with the project and by 2019 the fruits of their labour began to pay off. 3 class 230s entered passenger service on the Martson Vale line and 5 units were ordered by Transport for Wales Rail for use on the Wrexham-Bidston Line.

Around the time that I learned about the D-train project I became involved with the Wrexham-Bidston Rail Users' Association (WBRUA). The Association had been battling for improvements on the line for 3 decades with little success; but not through lack of trying. Throughout the 90s it seemed as if the line was being wound down and if it wasn't for the freight services that used the line it could of closed all together. 

In 2016/17 the WBRUA begin to actively support the introduction of class 230 on the line, with the proviso that the units were used in order to facilitate the introduction of a half hourly service. This would require 5 units and was at the time a big ask, however the WBRUA believed that a reliable half hourly service would unlock the potential of the line. 

The WBRUA was, and remains confident that 230s which have been delivered to TfW will outperform class 150s and provide a superior customer experience. In terms of performance, 4 diesel engines will provide 600kw of power to 4 rafts of batteries and with double the number of powered axles, will ensure the class 230s will be able to out-perform the class 150s. 

The WBRUA estimated that despite having 3 cars instead of 2, the class 230s with their all aluminium bodies will have a 30% better power to weight ratio than a 2 car class 150. 

 Class 230 vs Class 150 side by side comparison

 

 Now in 2021,

The class 230s were supposed to enter service on the line in early 2020, with 2 units intended for use on the Wrexham-Bidston line to maintain the hourly service, the other units were to be put to work on the Conwy Valley line, it was also suggested 1 unit could be used on the Chester-Crewe shuttle. However, it was soon established that a class 230 with a top speed of 60mph, despite its superior acceleration (when compared to class 150) would not be able to maintain the current Chester to Crewe journey time. It was intended that by December 2021 all 5 units would transfer to the Wrexham-Bidston line so that the half hourly services could commence.

In the end the first class 230 did not arrive in Wales until July 2020 owing to problems with the supply of crucial components and the added features stipulated by TfW such as wide gangways, for which parts had to be specially fabricated.

 

 230 006 at Wrexham General, having arrived from Long Martston that day.

230 006 was the first unit to arrive, it was driven from Long Marston to Wrexham General under its own power, with a Vivarail crew onboard. Soon after its arrival, 006 began testing on the line and completed between 2 and 3 runs each day from Wrexham General to Birkenhead North EMU Depot. Transport for Wales Rail had struck a deal with Merseytravel to use 1 of the roads at Birkenhead North EMUD to stable class 230s overnight. In August 2020 006 was joined by 007 and that same month 002, 006, 007 and 008 were authorised for passenger use by the ORR. 008 and 009 have now also arrived with 010 expected in the coming months.

There is currently no secure stabling provision for the class 230s at Wrexham, so all class 230s are being stabled at the Merseyrail EMUD overnight. Refuelling currently takes place at Chester TMD, which is used to maintain TfW's fleet of class 175s. On a handful of occasions 6 car class 230s have been seen making the journey from Birkenhead to Chester for refuelling. 

  230 008 approaching Neston station during testing

TfW have now taken ownership of a number of units and it appears as if they are gearing up to begin driver training. TfW staff members have been seen aboard class 230s making runs on the Wrexham-Bidston line and a class 153 has also been making a number of runs each day from Chester to Birkenhead North via Wrexham for route familiarise.  

A sufficient number of crews must be trained to operate the class 230s by December 2021 in order for the half hourly service to commence. Despite the outbreak of Covid19 and subsequent reduction to the services on the Wrexham-Bidston line, there has been no hint that the half hourly will be shelved. The half hourly service to be introduced from December 2021 was contractual agreement agreed by Transport for Wales and its private partner KeolisAmey when it took over operation of Wales and Borders services from Arriva Trains Wales in 2018. The Welsh Government through TfW has now taken over day to day running of the railway from KeolisAmey. However KeolisAmey still has a role to play in delivering the upgrade of the Valley Lines.  

There is no date yet for when the class 230s will enter service, however with the crews finally beginning familiarisation and training it is hoped that the first units could enter service by May this year (2021).

 

 

End of the line nearing for Merseyrail's 508s and 507s

On Sunday 16th of August, a pair of Merseyrail class 508s left Birkenhead North depot for the last time. The units were hauled by a class 57 operated by Rail Operations Group over the Wrexham-Bidston line, then on to Craven Arms, there they would remain overnight before being taken to Newport docks, where they are to be scrapped.

The scrapping of Merseyrail's fleet of class 508 and 507 units has been on the cards for some time, as they are to be replaced by new class 777 units built by Stadler. However, 110 and 134 have been retired much earlier than their classmates and months before the expected introduction of the first class 777.

It appears 110 and 134 had reached their mileage limit and were in need of an overhaul, therefore with new units on the way it wasn't deemed cost-effective to keep them in service. Space at Metseyrail's Birkenhead North and Kirkdale depots will also start to become limited as more class 777s arrive. 6 have arrived so far and are being stabled at the recently rebuilt Kirkdale depot. There is space for overnight stabling at some stations for 508/7s, but it is likely that depot space will still start to become constrained soon.

  

508 115 at Liverpool Lime Street

It is however unlikely that we will see more 508 or 507s being sent off-lease just yet, at least not until the first class 777s begin to enter service later this year. Before Covid-19, 52 class 508/7s were required to be in service each day. With 110 and 134 now sent for scrap, that leaves a total of 57 class 508s and 507s remaining in service. With the fleet approaching 40 years old it can be assumed that a number of the units will be out of service for maintenance or repair at any given time. 134 hadn't been used since January 2020, however 110 was in service as recently as Wednesday the 12th of August. 

 

507 003 at Chester Station

Merseyrail has ordered just 52 class 777s, with only 50 being required each day. This reduction in the requirement will be achieved through the speeding up of the timetable, which will reduce the number of diagrams. The new units should also be much more reliable and therefore fewer will be out of service each day for maintenance or repairs. Merseyrail does have the option to purchase a further 60 units, but this is on the basis that services are extended in future to places such as Helsby, Skelmersdale or Wrexham. With extension dependant on the success of a battery trial and or further electrification. One class 777 is to be fitted with batteries and tested on the Merseyrail network, this will be to test the feasibility of future extensions without the need for costly electrification. 

 507 001 alongside a Network Rail measurement train at Hooton Station

I posted a video to Youtube of the move on Sunday night and was surprised by the number of people who were saying that they will be sad to see the 508/7s go. I assumed that people would be glad to see the old making way for the new, but thinking about it, it is easy to see why people may think fondly of the old class 508s and 507s. They have served the Merseyrail network well for almost 40 years, with Merseyrail as an operator regularly sitting at or near the top of National Rail Passenger Survey. The refurbishment carried out between 2002 to 2004 also means that the units still look fairly modern to this day, both inside and out.

However, their days are numbered, so if you want to experience a Merseyrail class 508 or 507 you probably have about 18 months left in which to do so, before they're all sent off for scrap.


In 2019 I wrote about how Merseyrail are adapting station platforms to provide step-free access once the new 777s enter services, find out more: Paving the way for new trains

Twitter - Facebook - Youtube

Northern Gateway, Deeside

Progress is finally beginning to be made on the multi-million pound Northern Gateway scheme for which outline planning permission was first granted for housing development, a hotel and technology park back in 2013.

Since then the only visible sign of progress was the completion in 2016 of an access road leading from the B5441 Welsh Road, for which £3.1m was awarded by the Welsh Government. Since then it appeared as if the project had stalled and the road sat unused, however work to clear the land ready for development is now well underway.

A key part of the North Gateway scheme is a 140-acre development lead by Praxis Real Estate Management Ltd. The scheme has outline planning permission for the development consisting of B2 general industrial units and B8 Storage or distribution units, with industrial units ranging in size from 50,000 sq ft up to 1,000,000 sq ft.

[click to enlarge] 

D Morgan PLC which had previously constructed the link road is now the principal contractor for The Airfields development and has already begun work to clear the site. The image below shows the scale of the works that has already been undertaken.

[click to enlarge] 

As well as The Airfields development, detailed proposals have also been submitted by developer Pochin to build 134 houses on the former Corus steelworks site located in Garden City. It is proposed that a total of 725 homes will be constructed over a period of 9 years on the site.

If the full scope of the Northern Gateway development can be realised it is hoped that 5000 jobs will be created in total. If this is to be achieved it is vital that transport links to Northern Gateway and Deeside Industrial Park are improved.

[click to enlarge]  

So far it has been announced that “Red Option” which aims to reduce congestion on the A494 to A55 corridor has been chosen to be taken forward to the planning phase. Enhancements along the A548 and a new section of road to be constructed connecting the Flintshire bridge to the A55 will vastly improve the vital link to Holyhead and help to reduce congestion on the section of the A494 known as Drome Corner leading to Aston Hill.

Plans to improve public transport are also being explored with a proposal put forward to improve Hawarden Bridge station on the Wrexham Bidston line which would serve the Garden City/Corus steelworks development. In addition, plans have been taken forward to explore the feasibility of building a new station on the Wrexham Bidston line that would serve the Deeside Industrial Park

The new station known as Deeside Parkway would be located near to the UPM paper mill and Great Bear distribution centre. If the new station was constructed not only would it provide access for workers from the Wirral and North East Wales to access the Deeside Industrial Park, but it could also serve as a park and ride facility for residents from Flint and Connah's Quay who wish to travel by rail to Liverpool, which has the potential to reduce congestion on the Welsh road leading to the M53. The provision of shuttle buses to serve the Deeside and Garden City areas area are also being considered as part of a wider public transport strategy.

If the plans can be delivered in conjunction with improvements to road and rail links then Northern Gateway has the potential to have far-reaching economic benefits and provide employment not just North East Wales but also the Wirral and Cheshire West. I hope to able to follow the development over the coming years.

[click to enlarge] 

RailLive special - A busy year for Vivarail (part 1)

Wales and Borders

I have made no secret of my support for Vivarail and the D-train project and have followed its development closely since 2015 when I made the first brief reference to a Vivarail display at Railtex 2015. Since then I have had the pleasure of riding on the first test unit 230 001 at RailLive last year and have written extensively about the development.

So it was with some excitement that I read that Vivarail had been chosen by KeolisAmey to supply 5 class 230s for the Wales and Borders franchise. In particular they will operate on the line which serves the town in which I live. I can't claim to have played any part in this, however I have supported and lobbied for the introduction of the class 230 on the Wrexham to Bidston line for a number of years.

image courtesy of Vivarail

Some background:

I and others had thought that the Wrexham to Bidston line would be a perfect line on which to deploy class 230s units. The service is in desperate need of improvement; the line is somewhat isolated and there are no servicing facilities close by. This is where the class 230's unique design comes into its own.

The units will be upcycled from now redundant D78 stock from the London Underground, this means that they will be less expensive to introduce than new trains and will perhaps, be cheaper to operate than the class 150s that currently operate on the line. This is important as current passenger numbers on the Wrexham to Bidston line are comparatively low. This fact combined with the zero growth basis on which the outgoing Arriva Trains Wales franchise was based, has meant that there was no incentive to invest in improving the service beyond trying to improve reliability.

What is really needed on the Wrexham to Bidston line is a half hourly service which would provide good connectivity with services to Liverpool, Chester, North Wales, Manchester and further afield. This connectivity can only be achieved with the introduction of a reliable half hourly service connecting at Bidston for Merseyrail services to Liverpool and at Shotton for services to Chester, Manchester and North Wales.

A new half-hourly service will require an increase from 2 units which currently serve on the line, to 4 with 1 unit available at short notice on standby should one fail. This increase will require additional investment by Transport for Wales, so the lower cost of the class 230 will help improve the business case.

Another fact which favors the class 230 is the modular design of the power packs. Each engine sits within a raft which is slung underneath the carriage, this means each powerpack can be removed and replaced relatively easily without the need for specialist equipment or train lift. This should mean that the units would not need to travel to Cardiff for repairs and that they can be stabled locally.

The 60mph top speed of the units should provide no issue in the case of the Wrexham to Bidston line as the frequent stops and low track speed means that trains rarely if at all ever reach 60mph. However the class 230 could potentially outperform the current class 150s. This is due to the increased power (whilst complying with strict environmental regulations), the lightweight aluminium body shells and the fact that the units have a greater number powered axles, 2 per powered car for a class 150, versus 4 per driving car for the class 230.

Unit service and design:

The first of 5 class 230s to enter service should do so in the summer of 2019 and will be used on the Wrexham to Bidston, Conwy Valley and Chester to Crewe services. This will allow class 150s to be taken south to enable the withdrawal of Pacers. Once new CAF built trains begin to arrive entire fleet of class 230s will be released in time for the introduction of a half hourly service on the Wrexham Bidston line in December 2021.

The design for the 3-car trains which will feature universal access toilet, WiFi, air conditioning, USB ports and 3-pin sockets is well underway and it is expected that the units will move to Wales for final testing and commissioning in early 2019. The class 230s will be fitted with a range of seating layouts and there will be plenty of space for bikes and luggage.

CGI image of the proposed layout for the new W&B units

image courtesy of Vivarail

Marston Vale line

At the start of the year I reported on the announcement that Vivarail was chosen to supply 3 class 230s for West Midlands Trains to operate on the Marston Vale line. Work to build the trains is well underway and they are expected to enter sercice in December this year (2018)

Image captured in May 2018 shows of one of the units featuring MWT livery ready to be fitted out 

image courtesy of Vivarail

The units will enter service between Bedford and Bletchley and be the first trains to be introduced within the new West Midlands Trains franchise.

The first 2 confirmed orders are exciting news, but that is not all that has been happening at Vivarail this year. In part 2 I will be taking a closer look at the battery unit that has been in development for the last year, which I had the chance to ride on this morning at RailLive.

A494 to A55 improvement proposals (part 2)

A494 - A55 Red option

In the first part I described some of the background into the previous attempt to upgrade the A494/A55 corridor, in this second part I will explain in more detail the "Red option" which is currently preferred by the Welsh Government.

The Red option involves construction of roughly 3.5km of new dual carriageway between the A548 and the A55. The proposal also involves grade separating a number of roundabouts along the A548 which provide access to the Deeside Industrial Park.

A494 looking south toward the A550 interchange and Deeside Industrial Park

Although the Red option primarily involves the construction of a new road, there will be some major works involving interfaces with existing roads. A new junction will have to be constructed on top of the junction where the A550 meets the A494, a junction that itself was only completed in 2009. 

Proposed A550/A494/A548 interchange (Click to enlarge)

Image for demonstrative purposes only, not to scale. Alignment is subject to change. 

It appears as if the new junction will be construction so that the A494-A548 route will be the main route to the A55. I assume that signage and lanes will have to be marked in such a way to direct people travelling from England wishing to access the A55 for Wrexham/Chester/Mold via the A494 and those wishing to access the A55 for the North Wales Coast/Anglesey/Holyhead via the new A548 link.

The A548 at the point where it passes the Deeside Industrial Park will be mostly re aligned with the existing carriageway alignment used for exit/entry slips between the new carriageway and roundabouts.

The dumbbell junction on the A584 for Connah's Quay will also have to be relocated as the carriageway will be re aligned to head North West towards the A55. The section of dual A584 currently ends 500 metres after the junction for Connah's Quay. After that the A548 becomes a single carriageway. The current A548 route does eventually meet the A55 but not until it reaches Pensarn some 38km away.

It will be interesting to note if or how the new A584 - A55 link is numbered if it is constructed.

The Welsh government have identified journey time benefits as one of the main benefits of the Red option over that of the Blue option. However there are other potential benefits, such as supporting the case for a new railway station that is proposed within the Deeside Industrial Park on the Wrexham Bidston railway line.

Proposed Deeside Parkway station, image courtesy of the Wrexham-Bidston Rail Users' Association

It is envisaged that the new station as well as providing access to the industrial park for workers, could also provide park and ride facilities for those travelling from Wales wishing to travel to Liverpool. Rather than driving to Liverpool of Hooton station (on the Merseyrail Wirral line), people could park at and travel from Deeside Parkway.

The other obvious benefit over the Blue option is the fact that a lot of the construction will be off the main carriageway. The Blue option involves working on the live carriageway at a point where congestion is already at its worst.

The Red option also provides a diversionary route if problems arise, concurrently the existing A494 would provide access to North Wales if there were problems on the A548. Currently in reality there is only one main route into North Wales and that is the A494-A55 corridor.

Another element to take into consideration is the replacement of the  A494 Dee bridge "which is in a poor structural condition"[1], there are already separate plans being put into place to replace the existing steel and concrete bridge. Replacing the bridge during or after potentially upgrading the A494 would bring with it further disruption. The Red option would at least provide a diversionary route whilst a new bridge is being built.

A decision is expected this year on whether to go ahead and if so which route to progress, so we won't have long to wait. In the meantime you can see how each of the options would look thanks to videos produced by the Welsh Government.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook - For more information e-mail Blog@EngineeringFocus.co.uk