Lion roars a welcome to England on A5117 Deeside Park junctions improvement
HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release (HA/NW/MP/015/2008) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 20 October 2008
Drivers travelling into England from Wales on the A5117 Deeside Park Improvement currently under construction will receive a dramatic welcome - a lion 20 metres long and nine metres high!
The giant animal will be made out of five tones of white stone cut into the turf of a steep embankment near the Woodbank junction. Work is getting underway now and should be finished in December.
Highways Agency project manager Stephen Greenhalgh said:
"This is an historic gateway between England and Wales and deserves to be marked in style. We have decided on that traditional English symbol - the lion. I hope it will become a popular landmark for the thousands of people who will use and benefit from the new road."
Richard Waddell, the artist from landscape architects, Moore Environment, who designed the feature said:
"The Woodbank lion presents a dynamic modern image of our English national symbol in tune with a modern high speed road but with echoes of the distant past. The stylized shape was inspired by the patterns in Anglo Saxon and Celtic jewellery. Its form etched into the landscape also represents an ancient technique but one which meets modern demands for a long life with minimal maintenance."
The new road is about three miles (five kilometres) long. The A5117 improvement scheme began in October 2006 and will cost £58m - £4.5 million has been contributed by the Welsh Assembly Government for the section of road in the principality while the European Union has contributed 2 million Euros because the A5117 is part of the Trans European network.
The road is expected to be fully operational in December. Its key aim is to ease congestion at three junctions - Woodbank, the A540 and the M56 as well as improve safety for drivers, equestrians and walkers.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England's motorways and major A roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.
2. The A5117 Deeside Park Improvements is being built by Carillion on behalf of the Highways Agency.
3. An image of the Woodbank lion is available from Nigel Ellis, COI News & PR NW at 0161-952 4507.
4. Real -time traffic information for England's motorways and major A roads is available:
* From our new Traffic Radio service, available on DAB digital radio and the internet at http://www.trafficradio.org.uk To tune into the DAB service, simply press the "scan" button on your radio. The radio will tune into all available channels and you can select the new service by scrolling through the channels until you reach "Traffic Radio".
* On the internet at http://www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo
* By phone from the Highways Agency 24-hour voice activated phone service on 08700 660 115. (Calls from BT landlines to 0870 numbers will cost no more than 8p per minute; mobile calls usually cost more).
Before using a mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency. Make sure it's safe and legal before you call.
5. For more general information about the Highways Agency and its work, visit the Highways Agency website http://www.highways.gov.uk, or telephone the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 at any time. (Calls to 0845 numbers cost no more than 3p/min from BT residential landlines. Call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary)
Safety at roadworks
The Highways Agency is working with the industry and road users to reduce the risks of working on the roads. For the safety of roadworkers and all road users, when you are approaching roadworks:
* Keep within the speed limit - it is there for your safety.
* Get into the correct lane in good time - don't keep switching.
* Concentrate on the road ahead, not the roadworks.
* Be alert for works' traffic leaving or entering roadworks.
* Keep a safe distance - there could be queues in front.
* Observe all signs - they are there to help you.
Receive our national and regional press releases by RSS and get the latest headlines straight to your desktop the moment we publish them to our website. Choose to receive a national press feed or one of our regionalised feeds - go to http://www.highways.gov.uk/rssnews for more information.
For enquiries from the media, journalists and researchers only, please contact Nigel Ellis on 0161-952 4507.
Issued on behalf of the Highways Agency by COI News & PR NW.
