Chester's newly-elected Labour MP Chris Matheson is demanding an explanation from the Highways Agency as to why the £6m Posthouse roundabout upgrade is so behind schedule.
Mr Matheson, who was elected last Friday morning, joined his Labour colleague Ian Lucas, MP for Wrexham, in calling for answers over why an extended deadline for the Wrexham Road works, on the outskirts of Chester, was missed and the new completion date put back until the end of next month.
He said: “The chaos these works have caused has been a real issue for Chester for months. It is one of the first things in my in-tray to start dealing with and I’ll be working closely with Ian to push for answers about where things went wrong.”
Roadworks are ongoing to tackle the ‘pinch-point’ at the A483-A55 junction to allow for future economic growth. Once complete, the agency says boosting the roundabout from three to four lanes and introducing a sensor-controlled traffic light system that responds to conditions will reduce gridlock and journey times between Chester and North Wales.
But the project has been beset with delays from the outset. Originally due to be completed at the end of March, an extension until May 10 was struck out during the general election campaign and now the end date has been moved until June 28.
The MPs want Highways England to explain exactly what went wrong with the project, and why initial estimates of the length of time the works would take to complete were so incorrect. Mr Lucas has pledged to work alongside the Chester MP to push transport bosses for answers.
Mr Lucas said: “Any project can be hit by delays but it is clear that something went badly wrong with these works. Deadlines were set, missed, then extended, not once but again and again – and the level of information given to motorists has been very poor indeed.
“This interchange is a crucial cross-border route which is vital to the economies of North Wales and North West England, and it has been a problem for motorists for months. The Transport Secretary must look at what wrong and why – after first apologising to motorists for the problems his mismanagement has caused.”
In their most recent press release, the Highways Agency said the latest delay was due to the need for “additional bridge strengthening work” and to open up a third lane during the busy May Festival at Chester Racecourse.
