Oswestry A5: Transport minister visits road as battle to turn it into a dual carriageway continues
Transport minister John Hayes was visiting the region today to see for himself the reasons why campaigners say the A5 should be turned into a dual carriageway around Oswestry.
Mr Hayes was meeting North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson to hear about the campaign and also to learn about pleas for a Pant/Llanymynech bypass on the A483.
Mr Paterson told Mr Hayes that the routes – which are accident blackspots – should be included in the government's Road Investment Strategy for 2019/2020.
Mr Hayes said:"It is not often so many different groups come together to make a shared, common case for improvements," he said.
"The Government is determined to improve the roads system to improve well being and safety and help the economy."
Last year Mr Paterson brought the under secretary of state for roads, Andrew Jones, to the county to travel on the two roads himself and also to meet concerned motorists, residents and members of the business community.
North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson said the accident statistics for the A5 since 1991 were "appalling".
Mr Paterson has been a long time campaigner for dualling the A5 - from north of Montford Bridge to Ruabon across the North Wales border - the only stretch of single carriageway road between Dover/Folkstone and Holyhead, a trans-European highway.
