Hopes landslip-hit Chirk road will reopen this year after being closed for 12 months

The road between Cefn Mawr and the A5 near Chirk was closed when land perilously close to the highway collapsed during Storm Christoph in January 2021.

Welsh Assembly member for the area, Ken Skates, met with local councillors recently, and said he hoped work could start on its repair as soon as possible.

The Welsh Government awarded Wrexham Council £175,000 for ‘ground investigation and detailed design of remedial works’ for the B5605 at Newbridge.

A final report on those investigations should be available next month and Wrexham council will then apply for major funding to the Welsh Government.

Mr Skates said: "Before Christmas I raised the issue of the closed road at Newbridge once again with the Welsh Government after the announcement of a £175,000 grant to help Wrexham Council carry out the initial work required,” said Mr Skates.

“These investigations will shape the application the council will submit to the Welsh Government for further funding. I hope it’s successful and that we can see spades in the ground as soon as possible.”

He said he had spoken to Councillor David Bithell and said they were both hopeful that things could progress swiftly once the council submission is in."

Chirk councillor, Frank Hemmings, has been among those pressing for the work to get underway saying it was a vital link road between two busy communities.

Mr Skates he said he had been in contact with both Welsh Water and BT, who have subsequently redirected sewers and fibre cables.

“Funding for major projects like this isn’t just signed off – there is a process that has to be followed. I know people in Chirk are fed up of waiting for the work to be carried out, but the grant from the Welsh Government has really got the ball rolling.

“That has paid for the surveys to be carried out, and significant progress couldn’t have been made until that is done. It is important to know the cause of the landslip and how it should be repaired.

“Hopefully the council will be able to get this application in soon and it will tick all the boxes, and then it will just be a matter of time before work get under way to reopen the road.”

A written response to Mr Skates from Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, said: “The Welsh Government has awarded funding of £175,000 for 2021-22 from the Resilient Roads Fund to Wrexham County Borough Council (WCBC) for ground investigation and detailed design of remedial works for the B5605 at Newbridge. These works will inform any future application by WCBC for funding for the construction of the remedial works.”