Motorists are set to face months of delays as £5.3M improvements to a dangerous junction on the A55 begin.

Over the next six months work will be taking place to improve the A55 at the junction at the A483 where traffic is often seen backing up due to severe congestion.

Starting Monday, September 15) and running until March, the work will see the Highways Agency create a new footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross the dangerous junction.

Costing an estimated £5.3M the improvements will be carried out in a series of phases, beginning with the creation of a new signalised junction between the A483 and Rough Hill.

The overnight work began at 9pm, just hours after a motorcyclist was air lifted to hospital following a smash at the Posthouse Roundabout at 12.38pm. 

The planned works have already caused headaches for motorists with hundreds of drivers stuck in jams along the Wrexham Road for hours, during the pre-works last month.

One motorist allegedly missed her brother’s wedding and drivers took to twitter to vent their frustrations after being stuck in the temporary works for three hours on Saturday August 9.

But as motorists face a further six months of delays, Alan Shepherd, the Highways Agency’s director for the North West said: “This important project will make the junction safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists and improve journey times – helping to unlock the potential for new jobs and new homes on both sides of the border.”

The works are part of the government’s national ‘pinch point’ programme, and will see the Pulford Roundabout converted into a fully signalised junction, and lanes widened in a bid to improve safety and reduce travelling times.

Phase one runs from September 15-October 23 and will see the works carried out between 9pm-5am Monday-Friday.

No road closures will be in place on the week commencing September 15, but during this phase the A483 will be closed in both directions from junction 7 to the A8483/A55 junction 38.

There will be no access from Rough Hill or the B5445 to the A483.

During this period the A483 will be closed in both directions from junction 7 to A483/A55 junction 38.

A second, £130,000, pinch point project will also be delivered at the junction with CCTV cameras being installed to identify incidents and congestion at the roundabout more quickly and improve incident and traffic management there.

Phase two, which runs from 23 October 2014 - 23 December 2014, will affect the A483 Pulford junction, and see the roundabout turned into a fully signalised junction.

The Highways Agency have confirmed that no works will be carried out over the Christmas and New Year period.

For further information about the improvements and how it will affect your journey visit http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a55a483-improvements/.