After Clwyd West MS Darren Millar and North Wales MS Sam Rowlands challenged the Welsh Government over the extortionate amount of money it has spent on temporary traffic lights on the Sea Road and Primrose Hill bridges over the A55 in Abergele and St George, and questioned how much longer the temporary lights will remain in place, they have received a response – and it is not positive.
As at the beginning of May, the Welsh Government confirmed it had spent almost £230,000 on the temporary traffic lights over the two bridges.
The MSs were told by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters MS, whose portfolio includes transport, that the lights currently in place across the bridge over the A55 trunk road on Sea Road 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.
They were also told that the traffic management currently in place on Primrose Hill, St George, Abergele, across the bridge which carries Primrose Hill over the A55 since 2019 cost £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.
They have now received a further letter from the Deputy Minister outlining that the works on the Primrose Hill bridge will be carried out in 2024/25, but that no date can be provided for the work on the Sea Road bridge.
The letter from the Deputy Minister states:
“All trunk road assets are inspected and maintained by our agent, in accordance with the Welsh Government Trunk Road Maintenance Manual (TRMM). The programme for interventions is determined based on risk and impact on the travelling public, financial constraints and other competing priorities across the strategic road network in Wales.
“I can confirm that the Primrose Hill repair works are being designed in this financial year and construction will follow in 2024/25, subject to available funding and other competing priorities.
“Unfortunately, the Sea Road bridge structural repair is a substantial undertaking that would significantly impact road users on the A55. I am unable to provide an exact timeframe for these works, but we will do all that we can to remove the traffic management as soon as we are able.”
Commenting, Darren said:
“Whilst I welcome the update from the Deputy Minister, it is disappointing that residents will have to wait until 2024/25 for the work to be carried out at Primrose Hill and that no timescale can be provided for the works on the Sea Road bridge.
“Extortionate amounts have already been spent on these two projects and taxpayers will be concerned to hear that further money will need to be ploughed into them before the work is eventually carried out.
“As I have previously stated these lights were supposed to be temporary, yet the ones on Sea Road have been there for 13 years! At a time when money is tight, the Welsh Government should be prioritising these works to prevent further vast sums being spent.”
Sam said:
“When we found out in May that the Welsh Government had, until that point, spent almost £230,000 on the temporary lights on these two bridges, we called on Ministers to carry out the work urgently.
“It is therefore extremely disappointing and concerning that no start date can be provided for the work on the Sea Road bridge, and that we could have to wait until 2025 for the works to be carried out on Primrose Hill.
“Their reluctance to act quickly on this matter provides further evidence that the Welsh Government has no shame when it comes to being wasteful with taxpayers’ money.”
