A55: £8m plans to improve junction near Wrexham

An £8m scheme to improve a bottleneck junction on the main route from England into north Wales has been announced.

The work on the A55 will start in 2014 and focus on the junction with the A483, which serves Wrexham.

UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced the plans for the scheme on the A55 at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas says he wants more details about what the planned works involve.

It will see the exit slip roads widened along with parts of the roundabout and the addition of traffic lights to the A483 southbound approach.

But Wrexham MP Ian Lucas said: "The news that the Highways Agency is considering this investment is welcome.

"However, I am concerned that their proposals appear to include adding further traffic signals on the A483 southbound.

"The concerns that drivers have raised with me centre on the roundabouts themselves, rather than the lack of signals at these roundabouts.

"I will be writing to ministers at the Department of Transport to ask for more information about their proposals and will watch this project carefully."

Liberal Democrat AM for North Wales Aled Roberts welcomed the announcement but wants to hear the views of traffic management experts before giving it his full support.

"There can be no doubt that problems with this junction holds Wrexham back economically," he said.

"Widening the exit slips roads will help but I am concerned about the addition of traffic lights on the A483."

The news follows an announcement by the Welsh government earlier that £25m will be used to improve the Conwy Tunnel on the A55 in north west Wales.