Highways Agency

The Project

The History leading up to construction

This scheme involves improvements to the A550/A5117 between Deeside Park and the M56 Junction 16, at present a dual carriageway of approximately 5 kilometres in length experiencing heavy congestion and delays for users at peak times. It also involves grade-separation of the three junctions at Woodbank, the A540 and M56.

This scheme will significantly reduce congestion and delays along the route as well improving safety and providing improved facilities for Non-Motorised Users, such as equestrians and walkers.

The Deeside Park Junctions Study developed a long-term strategy to deal with existing safety and congestion problems along this route. The study was completed in October 2001.

The North West Regional Assembly supported the recommendations and a scheme was added to the Government’s Targeted Programme Of Improvements (TPI) –( this is now known as the Programme of Major Scheme) in February 2002 at the same time that the preferred route was announced.

In September 2003 The Highways Agency awarded the contract to Mowlem (now Carillion)/Owen Williams partnership under the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) initiative, to take the scheme forward. This allowed for detailed planning work to be carried out while the scheme was taken through the statutory procedures.

The Highways Agency published Draft Orders under the Highways Act 1980 on 17 March 2005. These sought the powers necessary to acquire the land and build the scheme.

A Public Inquiry commenced on 25 October 2005 at the Mollington Banastre Hotel, Parkgate Road, Chester.  The Inquiry sat for a total of 7 days during which time evidence was heard from both the representatives of the Highways Agency, supporters of the scheme and from various objectors.

Following receipt of the Inspector’s Report which recommended that the Orders be made as drafted the Secretary Of State announced his decision on 8 May 2006 confirming that the scheme should go ahead.

Copies of the decision letter and the Inspectors Report are available on the Department of Transport’s website www.dft.gov.uk.

Given the favourable decision, the Highways Agency confirmed the Orders on 9 June 2006.

Work officially commenced on 2 October 2006 . Some advanced environmental mitigation works did take place prior to this date and included newt translocation works in August.  Plastic sheeting could be seen at various locations along the route of the site. The plastic sheeting is a special type of fencing designed to trap and rescue great crested newts. The newts were being moved to the safety of nearby ponds to avoid them being harmed by the construction works.

Great crested newts are a protected species under European legislation. Although they breed in ponds, they spend part of their life cycle on the land, including that required to construct the road improvement. The newts are being moved in accordance with protected species licences obtained from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Welsh Assembly Government.