Clwyd West MS Darren Millar and North Wales MS Sam Rowlands have slammed the Welsh Government for spending almost £230,000 on temporary traffic lights on the Sea Road and Primrose Hill bridges over the A55 in Abergele and St George.

Darren recently submitted a question asking the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters MS, whose portfolio includes transport, to outline the total cost spent on the temporary traffic lights currently in place across the bridge over the A55 trunk road on Sea Road, Abergele, since their installation.

Responding the Minister said the lights “were installed as a permanent installation in 2010 in order to keep the bridge open until the completion of the bridge structural repairs and drainage issues on the A55 below the bridge”, and revealed that the total cost for their installation was £59,265.80, with the ongoing maintenance and hire costs associated with the safety barriers across the bridge amounting to £107,036.83.

Meanwhile, Sam submitted a question asking what the total spend to date is linked to traffic management currently in place on Primrose Hill, St George, Abergele, across the bridge which carries Primrose Hill over the A55 since 2019.

The response he received revealed that the traffic management costs for Primrose Hill is £7,257.72 for installation in 2019, with rental and maintenance in 20/21 costing £18,842.86, in 21/22 £19,460.00 and in 22/23 £15,708.57, bringing the total to date to a staggering £61,269.15

Commenting, Darren said:

“I am sure that residents will be as shocked as me by these extortionate figures.

“To spend such huge sums on temporary measures quite frankly beggars belief. The Welsh Government would have been better spending the money on getting the work that needs doing done.    

“These lights were supposed to be temporary, yet the ones on Sea Road have been there for 13 years!

“At a time when we are continually being told that money is tight, Ministers should start using some common sense and stop wasting taxpayers' money.”

Sam said:

“These closures were supposed to be temporary, but the Welsh Government seems to be in no hurry to get the work done. In the meantime, huge sums of money are being spent on maintaining the traffic lights.

“Together the two projects to date have cost £227,571, a phenomenal amount which could have been used far more productively. The Welsh Government needs to urgently look at this and get the work done so that no more money is wasted.”