A494 road
Encyclopedia
The A494 is an important trunk road in Wales
. The road runs between "Drome Corner" at the intersection of the A548 and A550 by RAF Sealand
, Queensferry and the A470
at Dolgellau
, Gwynedd
.
, the original routes to North Wales meant using fords when the Dee estuary was at low tide. But when the river was canalised in the 1730s several new coach roads were laid out through Sealand, Shotton
and Queensferry
. These were built by the Dee Company under the River Dee Act of 1743 to serve the hand-operated ferries which had replaced the fords.
By 1861 the ferry at Shotton was steam operated, with an engine house on the Queensferry side. But this was replaced in 1897 by the Queen Victoria Jubilee Toll Bridge because of increasing traffic. But less than 30 years later, the area had once again become notorious for traffic congestion because the bridge was proving too narrow for larger vehicles.
In 1926 a rolling bascule bridge
, called the New Jubilee Bridge, was opened by the Ministry of Transport
for the newly named A494. Its design allowed river traffic to use the wharfs at Saltney
. The original bridge was demolished although the stone abutments can still be seen today.
The steel bridge remained the sole road crossing at Queensferry until the late 1950s.
But its size and design had limitations, a news report at the time stated it "is barely wide enough for two lines of vehicles, and five-mile traffic jams are normal".
In the late 1960s, the A494 was upgraded to a dual carriageway from Drome corner. The original route through Shotton and Queensferry was bypassed after a wider fixed-arched bridge was constructed across the River Dee. This was facilitated by reduction of larger river traffic following the closure of the sea-going wharfs at Saltney.
The present route had remained unchanged until a lane upgrade in 2004.
coast route between Holyhead
and the M56 motorway
. The section of the A494 north of the River Dee
was upgraded to 4-lanes plus hard shoulders in each direction in 2004 as part of a wider scheme, which upgraded the A550 as well, although not all of the lanes on the A494 have been opened.
The next stage of the scheme was to widen a 2.5 miles (4 km) stretch of the A494 from the River Dee up Aston Hill to the Ewloe
Interchange, the junction of the A55
and A494, to 3 and 4-lane plus hard shoulder standard.
In April 2006, local residents living at Aston Hill, part of the proposed route, began a campaign to oppose any further widening of the A494. After 15 months, protesters' high-profile message had garnered more than 2300 individual letters and numerous petitions rejecting the proposals. A Planning Inquiry was held in September - October 2007.
In March 2008 the proposals (in entirety) were ordered to be scrapped by the Ieuan Wyn Jones, Deputy First Minister, responsible for Transport at the Welsh Assembly.
This part of the A494 will remain a two-lane dual carriageway and the speed limit will be 50 mi/h. The decision has left a question mark over the future of the remaining upgrade at Ewloe Interchange.
Resentment also remains within the Aston Hill community as thirty households were evicted from their homes earlier in the scheme. These houses were earmarked to be demolished to make way for the road-widening works. No decision has been made about the future of these properties.
converges with the A494. At this point the dual carriageway becomes the A55 and the A494 diverges onto a single-carriageway trunk road. This section is approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) in length. It is largely national speed limit with exceptions through urbanised areas.
The A494, which follows a largely unchanged historic route, passes Mold
through the Clwydian Mountains
, down to Ruthin
and onto the market town of Corwen
. Although it follows the traditional coach route, work has been undertaken over many decades to improve various sections of this road. For instance a bypass was completed in 1999 to allow traffic to avoid Mold's town centre. Likewise a dangerous road junction for Moel Famau
, just outside Loggeheads, that was on a bend and blind brow has now been completely bypassed.
The A494 enters Ruthin
by traversing the steep side of the Vale of Clwyd. Beyond the town, it heads south through several small villages. Beside the road for much of the way is the disused Ruthin to Corwen Railway line. The A494, up to this point, often remains congestion
free as a lot of traffic follows the parallel A5104 between the A55 and Corwen around Llantysilio Mountain.
The A494 meets the A5 trunk road at a T-junction just outside Corwen. It now makes a short 1.5 miles (2.4 km) concurrency
with the A5 to Druid.
The A494 diverges from the concurrency with the A5 at the road junction at Druid, Denbighshire
. It then heads south west for 27 miles (43.5 km) to Dolgellau
, Gwynedd
.
This section of the A494 remains single carriageway. It has variable speed limits. North Wales Police
regularly conduct traffic operations on this road.
The A494 enters the Snowdonia National Park just outside the market town of Bala
. It then runs adjacent to Bala Lake
for 4 miles (6.4 km) and past Aran Fawddwy
.
At the end of the lake, the A494 enters a long valley that follows the River Wnion to Dolgellau
. Again a former railway line also runs parallel with the road. The remains of its architecture can be seen in places.
The A494 terminates at a T-junction with the A470
just outside the market town
of Dolgellau beneath Cadair Idris
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The road runs between "Drome Corner" at the intersection of the A548 and A550 by RAF Sealand
RAF Sealand
RAF Sealand was a former Royal Air Force station in Flintshire, north Wales and operated between 1916 and 2006.Under defence cuts announced in 2004 RAF Sealand was completely closed in April 2006. All remaining RAF units were moved to RAF Leeming...
, Queensferry and the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
at Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
.
Beginnings
North of ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, the original routes to North Wales meant using fords when the Dee estuary was at low tide. But when the river was canalised in the 1730s several new coach roads were laid out through Sealand, Shotton
Shotton, Flintshire
Shotton is a town in Flintshire, north Wales, lying on the River Dee. The name derives from the Old Norse words sjò and tùn . It is continuous with the towns of Connah's Quay and Queensferry in what is called Deeside...
and Queensferry
Queensferry, Flintshire
Queensferry is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying on the River Dee near the border with England.Queensferry lies along the B5441 and B5129 roads, and is bypassed by the A494 dual carriageway. It is contiguous with Deeside...
. These were built by the Dee Company under the River Dee Act of 1743 to serve the hand-operated ferries which had replaced the fords.
By 1861 the ferry at Shotton was steam operated, with an engine house on the Queensferry side. But this was replaced in 1897 by the Queen Victoria Jubilee Toll Bridge because of increasing traffic. But less than 30 years later, the area had once again become notorious for traffic congestion because the bridge was proving too narrow for larger vehicles.
In 1926 a rolling bascule bridge
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
, called the New Jubilee Bridge, was opened by the Ministry of Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
for the newly named A494. Its design allowed river traffic to use the wharfs at Saltney
Saltney
Saltney is a small town in Flintshire, Wales. It is immediately to the west of the border with Cheshire in England and is contiguous with the Chester urban area.The name is derived from the former salt marshes on which it is built, lying on the River Dee...
. The original bridge was demolished although the stone abutments can still be seen today.
The steel bridge remained the sole road crossing at Queensferry until the late 1950s.
But its size and design had limitations, a news report at the time stated it "is barely wide enough for two lines of vehicles, and five-mile traffic jams are normal".
In the late 1960s, the A494 was upgraded to a dual carriageway from Drome corner. The original route through Shotton and Queensferry was bypassed after a wider fixed-arched bridge was constructed across the River Dee. This was facilitated by reduction of larger river traffic following the closure of the sea-going wharfs at Saltney.
The present route had remained unchanged until a lane upgrade in 2004.
Queensferry to Ewloe
This section forms part of the North WalesNorth Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
coast route between Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
and the M56 motorway
M56 motorway
The M56 Motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, is in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England. It runs from Junction 4 of the M60 to Dunkirk, Cheshire and is in length. It is often busy with long-distance commuter traffic towards North Wales...
. The section of the A494 north of the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
was upgraded to 4-lanes plus hard shoulders in each direction in 2004 as part of a wider scheme, which upgraded the A550 as well, although not all of the lanes on the A494 have been opened.
The next stage of the scheme was to widen a 2.5 miles (4 km) stretch of the A494 from the River Dee up Aston Hill to the Ewloe
Ewloe
Ewloe is a small town in North Wales, contiguous with Hawarden and Buckley and near to Queensferry and Shotton. Situated close to the Flintshire/Cheshire sector of the Wales-England border, Ewloe forms part of Deeside. The A55 expressway passes through the town and its most notable landmark is...
Interchange, the junction of the A55
A55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
and A494, to 3 and 4-lane plus hard shoulder standard.
In April 2006, local residents living at Aston Hill, part of the proposed route, began a campaign to oppose any further widening of the A494. After 15 months, protesters' high-profile message had garnered more than 2300 individual letters and numerous petitions rejecting the proposals. A Planning Inquiry was held in September - October 2007.
In March 2008 the proposals (in entirety) were ordered to be scrapped by the Ieuan Wyn Jones, Deputy First Minister, responsible for Transport at the Welsh Assembly.
"In reaching my decision I have taken account of the concerns raised by the inspector that the overall size of the scheme would have a significant impact on the landscape and would affect walking and cycling routes. I have also noted [the planning inspector's] remarks that while he considers that this section of the A494 will need some form of improvement in the foreseeable future, he considers that the scale of the scheme as originally proposed is greater than required." Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn JonesIeuan Wyn JonesIeuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...
This part of the A494 will remain a two-lane dual carriageway and the speed limit will be 50 mi/h. The decision has left a question mark over the future of the remaining upgrade at Ewloe Interchange.
Resentment also remains within the Aston Hill community as thirty households were evicted from their homes earlier in the scheme. These houses were earmarked to be demolished to make way for the road-widening works. No decision has been made about the future of these properties.
Ewloe to Corwen
Just past Ewloe interchange the A55A55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
converges with the A494. At this point the dual carriageway becomes the A55 and the A494 diverges onto a single-carriageway trunk road. This section is approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) in length. It is largely national speed limit with exceptions through urbanised areas.
The A494, which follows a largely unchanged historic route, passes Mold
Mold, Flintshire
Mold is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council, and was also the county town of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996...
through the Clwydian Mountains
Clwydian Range
The Clwydian Range is a series of hills and mountains in north east Wales that runs from Llandegla in the south to Prestatyn in the north, with the highest point being the popular Moel Famau...
, down to Ruthin
Ruthin
Ruthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
and onto the market town of Corwen
Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales; it was previously part of the county of Meirionnydd). Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llangollen and south of Ruthin...
. Although it follows the traditional coach route, work has been undertaken over many decades to improve various sections of this road. For instance a bypass was completed in 1999 to allow traffic to avoid Mold's town centre. Likewise a dangerous road junction for Moel Famau
Moel Famau
Moel Famau is the highest hill within the Clwydian Range on the border between Denbighshire and Flintshire in North Wales. The hill, which also gives its name to the Moel Famau country park, has been classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1985...
, just outside Loggeheads, that was on a bend and blind brow has now been completely bypassed.
The A494 enters Ruthin
Ruthin
Ruthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
by traversing the steep side of the Vale of Clwyd. Beyond the town, it heads south through several small villages. Beside the road for much of the way is the disused Ruthin to Corwen Railway line. The A494, up to this point, often remains congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
free as a lot of traffic follows the parallel A5104 between the A55 and Corwen around Llantysilio Mountain.
The A494 meets the A5 trunk road at a T-junction just outside Corwen. It now makes a short 1.5 miles (2.4 km) concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with the A5 to Druid.
Druid to Dolgellau
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
. It then heads south west for 27 miles (43.5 km) to Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
.
This section of the A494 remains single carriageway. It has variable speed limits. North Wales Police
North Wales Police
North Wales Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing North Wales. The headquarters are in Colwyn Bay, with divisional headquarters in St Asaph, Caernarfon and Wrexham....
regularly conduct traffic operations on this road.
The A494 enters the Snowdonia National Park just outside the market town of Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
. It then runs adjacent to Bala Lake
Bala Lake
Bala Lake is a large lake in Gwynedd, Wales. It was the largest natural body of water in Wales prior to the level being raised by Thomas Telford to help support the flow of the Ellesmere Canal. It is long by wide, and is subject to sudden and dangerous floods. The River Dee runs through it and...
for 4 miles (6.4 km) and past Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy is a mountain in southern Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom.The nearest urban centres to the mountain are Dinas Mawddwy to the south, Llanymawddwy to the southeast, Llanuwchllyn on the shores of Bala Lake to the north, and Rhydymain to the west. On the eastern slopes of Aran Fawddwy is...
.
At the end of the lake, the A494 enters a long valley that follows the River Wnion to Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
. Again a former railway line also runs parallel with the road. The remains of its architecture can be seen in places.
The A494 terminates at a T-junction with the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
just outside the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Dolgellau beneath Cadair Idris
Cadair Idris
Cadair Idris or Cader Idris is a mountain in Gwynedd, Wales that lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park. The peak, which is one of the most popular in Wales for walkers and hikers, is composed largely of Ordovician igneous rocks, with classic glacial erosion features such as...
.