A55 Traffic News
The A55, otherwise known as the North Wales Expressway, stretches for 87 miles from Chester in the east to Holyhead in the west. It’s the region’s busiest route and has been a dual carriageway since the early 2000s. The only part that’s not dual carriageway is the point at which the road crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait.
The primary destinations along the A55 include Chester, Conwy and Bangor - the end of the route terminates at the port of Holyhead.
This route partially follows the alignment of the Roman road from Chester to Caernarfon, but the modern road has undergone many major improvements from the 1930s to the present day. Before these improvements, Holyhead was a remote area and difficult to get to - motorists were required to take on several headlands. However, the dual carriageway improvement works over the years has meant this route is one of the best high-speed roads in the UK.
Access to Anglesey was also made far more straightforward with the establishment of a new crossing when the Britannia Bridge was rebuilt following a fire - and a new expressway from the Menai Strait to Holyhead was built in 2001.
Interestingly, the Colwyn Bay section of the A55 was built using the same legal orders used to create a motorway but was never declared as one. This unusual process has created an equally unusual circumstance whereby the National Speed Limit does not apply to this stretch of road. This is due to it not being a public right of way or a motorway.
Due to its location through the beautiful Welsh countryside, the route is one of the more picturesque in the UK.
Accident Hotspots on the A55
The A55 stretches for 87 miles and is an extremely important route connecting Chester to the port of Holyhead. This means there is always a high volume of traffic using the road daily. Therefore this road experiences a high number of traffic incidents. Always check for A55 traffic news before you travel.
Accidents at junction 19 in Llandudno prompted the Trunk Road Agency to conduct a study on safety work.
Rhuallt Hill downward stretch, Junction 32A in Halkyn/Pentre Halkyn, junction 35 at Dobshill and the Ewloe Loop are also all known accident hotspots.
Upcoming A55 Major Roadworks
This major road connects Chester to the port of Holyhead so, as you may expect, the A55 is regularly being considered for improvements. There are short-term roadworks regularly being carried out along the route. By using the RAC Route Planner service you can identify and account for potential delays in your journey with travel news from the A55.
For up-to-date information about upcoming roadworks on the A55, please visit the National Highways website, or look up a specific postcode on the local council website.