Warning over dangers of A5 Chirk bypass

Motorists are still not grasping the message that the A5 Chirk bypass, which was the scene of a double fatal crash, is "highly dangerous", a councillor warned today.

Councillor Ian Roberts was speaking after four cars were involved in a another pile-up on the road on Thursday.

Nobody was injured in the crash at the Halton roundabout but the collision did cause delays to traffic. It was close to the scene of the March 22 crash in which two people died.

Councillor Roberts, who represents Chirk at Wrexham Council, said: "People need to realise this road is highly dangerous and they need to be extra careful. That message needs to get out.

"This is another crash on this road and just days after the dreadful collision which killed two people.

"What we can say is that because the victims of the earlier crash were from north and south Wales, the message is getting across Wales that this route is dangerous.

"Improvements must be made immediately because more and more traffic is using this route. Latest figures say there is about 26,500 vehicles each day on that route and the road cannot cope."

Councillor Roberts said he expected more chaos tomorrow on the bypass as thousands of people arrived for the Chirk Car Boot sale which is held on land next to the A5.

He said the problems could be even worse than normal because restrictions remained on the bypass during repairs. Barriers were damaged in the March 22 crash.

The car driver Stuart Davies, 45, an Airbus worker from Mold, and 43-year-old Hefin Jones, from Cardigan, who was at the wheel of the cattle truck, were killed.

The driver of the tanker escaped with only a minor head injury.

Road bosses have said the repairs to the bypass will continue next week.