Safety concerns shut down A550 Tinkersdale for resurfacing

The A550, Tinkersdale, has been closed between Dobshill Roundabout and Glynne Way due to significant damage to the road surface, raising concerns about safety.

Flintshire County Council has announced that the road is now unsafe for all highway users and requires full carriageway resurfacing.

The decision to close the road follows an assessment by council officers who noted that the road’s condition had deteriorated substantially between scheduled safety inspections.

The council has said that a section of the A550 has historically faced issues with carriageway subsidence, and recent evidence suggests that the substructure is still moving.

Combined with the unusually wet conditions of the past winter and spring, these factors have accelerated the road’s decline.

“The winter and spring seasons of 2024 have seen substantial and prolonged rainfall across the county, which, coupled with heavy foliage, has prevented the road surface from drying out,” stated a council spokesperson. “The damp conditions have exacerbated the deterioration, making the road beyond simple pothole patching.”

Work on the road has got underway today. Contractors will focus on resurfacing the worst sections and performing additional maintenance while the road remains closed. The works are expected to be completed within the next three weeks.

A Flintshire Council spokesperson said, “Affected traffic is being diverted via the A550(T), A5104 (Broughton), and B5125. Key stakeholders, such as the emergency services and transport operators, along with internal teams such as the waste/recycling collection teams have been notified, and we will continue to liaise with these stakeholders to ensure that these essential works have as little impact on their operations as possible.

“Further information regarding these works and all other roadworks that take place across Flintshire, can be found via https://one.network/. Flintshire County Council would like to thank residents and businesses in the area for their patience and understanding, and apologises for any inconvenience caused during these essential works.”