Welsh government announce preferred Option for A494 River Dee Bridge replacement

The plans for a replacement for the A494 River Dee Bridge have progressed after the Welsh government announced the preferred option.

Option E, which was found to be the most affordable, environmentally friendly and most practical to deliver during public consultation, was selected as the preferred replacement. The Welsh government also stated that this option would mean that work at the railway would be via the use of the existing highway verge area, with the structure also being reconfigured to facilitate up to 3km of ‘new and improved active travel paths’.

The preliminary design will continue to be developed, with comments made during the consultation being considered. The next stage will be to publish draft Orders and an Environmental Statement which will allow stakeholders to comment, support or object to the proposals. This is scheduled for Autumn 2025, with public exhibitions to be held during the consultation to allow officials and the project team to answer any queries.

The replacement bridge is required due to the increasing number of repairs needed for the current bridge to remain in use. The Welsh governent have said that inspections and monitoring have shown that the frequency of repairs and the risk of major repair and intervention requiring the closure of the bridge is growing ‘year-on-year’.

The cabinet secretary for transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: ‘I’m pleased today to be able to announce the preferred option, which is the most cost-effective and has the least environmental impact. The plans can now move ahead to the next stage with a view to publish the draft orders later this year.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2026 to early 2027.