Calls for speed limit reduction and cameras on ‘dangerous’ Denbighshire trunk road

Calls have been made for urgent action to address speeding traffic on a busy and ‘dangerous’ North Wales road.

Cllr Hugh Evans says vehicles are hurtling along a stretch of the A494 in Denbighshire risking the lives of residents, tourists, and drivers.

He is now campaigning for speed cameras to be introduced and wants the 60mph speed limit lowered to 50 or even 40mph between Gwyddelwern and Pwll-glas before someone is killed.

But he says his complaints are falling on deaf ears.

He said: “I’ve been emailing the Welsh Government and the North Wales Trunk Road Agency to try and meet them regarding the speeding going from Gwyddelwern to Pwll-glas.

“It has proved to be an impossible task because the Welsh Government has not responded to my emails.

“The Welsh Trunk Road agency has spoken to me, but has told me it’s either a Welsh Government or a police issue.

“The issue is that there are people putting their lives in their hands when they come out of their properties on that road, and particularly when they leave the petrol station, there are people going such a speed on that stretch of road.

“It is quite a risk. When people leave the petrol station at Brynsaithmarchog, it is a risk.

“When people come out of their properties at Pandy r Capel, it is a risk.

“There are businesses there with bed and breakfasts, and tourists are at risk because of the bends, and it is just a very dangerous road, and in the last two or three years, it has got worse.

“I’ve been trying to get the Welsh Government or the Trunk Road Agency to meet on site to have a conversation.

“The increase with the number of people working for the Welsh Government does not coincide with more urgency responding to issues in North Wales.”

Cllr Evans said it was “just a matter of time” before someone is seriously injured or killed.

He added: “Let’s meet on site and understand the issues, and let’s do something about it because it’s dangerous.

“Years ago someone was killed near the garage. The speed needs to be lowered. What’s happened, since the cameras have been put on the road between Corwen and the Horseshoe Pass, that has reduced the accidents on that road and made it a lot safer.

“But the consequence of that is the motorbikes now come down Nant y Garth and through Llanfair and go up that road and are breaking all sorts of speed limits.

“The problem has been moved from the Bryn Eglwys Road to the Gwyddelwern road.

“The ideal solution would be cameras and a lowered speed limit to 50 mph, or it might be 40 mph in Pandy r Capel because of the bends, but it needs addressing.”

A spokesman for the Welsh Government said: “Trunk road officials will contact Cllr Evans this week to discuss his road safety concerns at this location.”

Chief Inspector Jon Aspinall, of North Wales Police said: ‘We work closely with the local authority and other partners to assess these situations, and where possible put mitigating action in place.

“Speed limits on the local road network are the responsibility of the local authority, and this is something that we do discuss in our regular meetings with them.”

By Richard Evans – Local Democracy Reporter