Welsh Government decision on Flintshire “Red Route” to be “published shortly”

A review carried out by a panel of experts into a number of large-scale road schemes planned to take place in Wales will be ‘will be published shortly’

One of the road schemes put on hold while the review took place is the so-called ‘Red Route,’ designed to relieve the long-standing traffic issues along the A494/A55 Flintshire corridor.

The panel of climate change and transport experts is looking at 55 road schemes in Wales to decide which projects will be taken forward and which will be scrapped.

The Welsh government initially held back from publishing the panel’s report while officials spent months mulling over its recommendations and formulating a response.

The Welsh government is now reconsidering its response to the review due to the “deteriorating fiscal and economic situation.”

The Flintshire ‘Red Route, scheme would see a 13km two-lane dual carriageway linking the A55 at Northop with the A494 and A550 north of Deeside Parkway Junction via the Flintshire Bridge.

In 2017, the Welsh government consulted on two routes, the Red Route and a second route, the ‘Blue Route.’

If chosen it would have seen improvements along the A494 Aston Hill and the Ewloe interchange with the A55 without the need for a new road being built, there was also a ‘do nothing’ option.

The Red Route was taken forward as the preferred choice in September 2017 and ecological and ground investigation work got underway.

In spring 2021 design partner Corderoy was appointed to manage the scheme however a few months later the Welsh government pulled the plug on all new road building pending a year-long review.

Around 50 road schemes were included in the review, the Welsh government said the moratorium on new road building was an environmental move.

A review panel was set up last year to look at all new road projects in Wales as part of plans to tackle the climate emergency, it was due to report back in September.

Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters MS

“In September 2022, I published a written statement about the final report of the Roads Review panel.”

“I would like to thank the chair Dr Lynn Sloman and the panel members for their hard work and dedication for this comprehensive and important report.”

“The Roads Review makes recommendations about future transport policy as well as judging the 55 roads schemes in the current pipeline against existing policy.”

Mr Waters said: “Responding to the recommendations is a complex piece of work which has been further complicated by the significant reduction in our spending power following the UK Government’s financial crash. ”

“As a result of the Autumn Statement the Welsh Government’s capital budgets will be 8.1% lower in 2024-25.”

“It is important that we now reconsider our full response to the Roads Review in light of the deteriorating fiscal and economic situation we have been placed in by the UK Government.”

“We will set out our response, together with those schemes which we will be taking forward, in our National Transport Delivery Plan, which will be published shortly.”