Flintshire Bridge to close for five days next month for vital inspection work

Flintshire Bridge will undergo essential inspection work, leading to a scheduled closure of both the eastbound and westbound carriageways for five days next month.

The closure is planned to commence on June 5 and will be in effect from 8 am to 6 pm each day.

A temporary traffic notice published by Flintshire Council states:

“The A548 Eastbound Carriageway (Flintshire Bridge) – between its junctions with Kelsterton Road on slip and Phase 4 Roundabout DIP – and the A548 Westbound Carriageway (Flintshire Bridge) – between its junctions with Phase 4 Roundabout DIP and Kelsterton Road off slip – will be closed for an approximate distance of 3834 metres.”

The reason for the closure is to carry out a principal inspection of the bridge cables and tower.

This inspection is integral to ensuring the long-term safety and usability of the bridge.

While the closure could cause inconvenience for motorists, the council has said alternative routes for vehicles affected by the closure “will be signed accordingly by the use of prescribed signs.”

New Bridge

Flintshire Bridge, the ‘New Bridge’ or the ‘Bridge to Nowhere” is an asymmetric cable-stayed bridge spanning the River Dee in Deeside.

Work on the bridge began in 1994 and was completed in 1997 at a total cost of £55m. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The 965 ft long bridge carries the A548 linking Flint and Connah’s Quay to the shore north of the River Dee at the southern end of the Wirral Peninsula, it reaches an impressive 387ft into the air. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The bridge was designed by the Percy Thomas Partnership, an award-winning British architectural practice which designed a number of landmark buildings in the UK including the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

It was paid for by the Welsh Office with maintenance costs later picked up by Flintshire County Council. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

According to traffic data the bridge carries around 13,000 vehicles daily .