Calls for steps to control town's traffic gridlock

* Traffic gridlock along Regent Street this morning.

A petition started by a Wrexham councillor calling on the Welsh Government to back urgent repairs to the storm-damaged B5605 road bridge in Newbridge has so far attracted over 2,500 signatures.

The online petition, at you.38degrees.org.uk, is the idea of the independent member for Cefn, Sonia Benbow Jones, and is aimed at Welsh Minister for Climate Change, Julie James.

It was started eight months ago and now has 2,519 signatures of people who want to see the bridge back into use for the benefit of people living in the area and the avoidance of a 15-mile detour through Llangollen whenever the A483/A5 viaduct is closed as it has been today due to high winds.      

* The petition calling for repairs to the B5605 bridge.

The petition calls on the Minister to provide Wrexham Council with funding to repair the bridge following Storm Christoph over a year ago.

Describing the importance of repairs, the petition says: "The B5605 provides critical road links between communities Newbridge, Cefn Mawr, Rhosymedre and Ruabon and also Chirk to the south. 

"This is causing major disruption to local residents and businesses and also provides critical diversionary route from the A483. In the event of closures on or planned works on the A483 it means a fifteen mile division via Llangollen which is unacceptable."

The petition can be viewed at: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/repairs-to-bridge-b5605-newbridge?bucket&fbclid=IwAR1rFG2ze0g7T6JTZOSbsaOfwB26iFnkPNh3gJ0wCwZ1E5TJVdE6aiXoCdg

* Meanwhile, town councillor Stuart Davies has this morning (Monday) emailed local county councillors and Denbighshire chief officers about the congestion caused by the traffic diversions in Llangollen.

He says: "Llangollen is gridlocked. Traffic backed up several miles to the Sun Trevor. People are not happy. Yet Denbighshire County Council and the Welsh Government, despite me warning them months ago, are still allowing this to happen. 

Attaching a screenshot of local people's complaints about the situation, he asks: "What are you intending to do to sort this problem, please?"