Brexit traffic measures introduced at Holyhead port

Traffic measures have been introduced on a major road leading to Holyhead port as the UK prepares to enter its new trading relationship with the EU.

The Welsh Government has said the plans are aimed at "minimising any possible disruption to the port, town and wider community".

Freight turned away from the port due to incorrect documentation will be sent on to the westbound A55.

The UK Government has predicted this could be 40-70% of freight.

Holyhead is the second busiest roll-on/roll-off port in the UK, behind only Dover.

Around 600 lorries and trailers leave the port on ferries bound for Dublin every day.

A trade deal between the EU and UK has now been agreed and will take effect from 1 January, but the changes in the trading relationship between the two parties mean there could be some disruption.

The Welsh Government added it expected the peak of traffic issues to be in mid-January.

The eastbound carriageway between junction two and four of the A55 will run with contraflow.

The Welsh Government said: "All HGVs turned away from the port will be redirected back to the contraflow to turn off at Junction 4 and join the westbound carriageway which is reserved for redirected HGVs."

Lorries will be stacked if there is no other site available.

It said work is already under way to prepare Plot 9 of Parc Cybi in Holyhead and the site due to be ready to accept HGVs by mid-January.

When asked if stacked lorry drivers would have access to toilets and food and drink, the Welsh Government said "appropriate welfare facilities" would be provided.

Economy Minister Ken Skates said: "We need to implement these contingency plans in order to do what we can to minimise any possible disruption for the port, community of Holyhead and wider area.

"We have never faced this kind of situation before and we have a duty to prepare for the worst possible scenario."

The Kent port has seen gridlock over recent weeks as Britain approached the end of its transition period with the EU and France banned all Channel crossings over the new coronavirus variant in the south-east of England.

Chair of the CBI in North Wales Kinza Sutton told BBC Radio Wales: "We anticipate that there will be delays.

"Certainly the changes to documentation is going to cause huge changes for everybody, so certainly during January I'd imagine there will be delays as everyone gets used to the new systems."

A plan to buy a truck stop as part of post-Brexit inbound customs checks was scrapped on Christmas Eve.

Border customs checks on inbound lorries and trailers will be implemented from July.

On Monday, a Welsh Government spokeswoman said along with the UK government it had determined other potential sites on Parc Cybi would be a more suitable alternative.

"This would also offer the opportunity for the truck stop to remain open, protecting jobs and providing a service for its customers, should it wish to do so," she said, adding further details would be provided in due course.

Anglesey Councillor and Executive member for Highways Robert G Parry said Parc Cybi was the "ideal place" for lorries.

The Plaid councillor for the Canolbarth Môn Ward said: "It means that they don't get off the A55 at all… and there's plenty of room there."

But he said the Welsh Government needed to "speed things up".

"They've left it until the last minute," he said.

"Of course there is the difference now that the deal has been made but they've been too slow in moving forward to provide these facilities.

"Only time will tell. What happens during the next two days will show us what will happen."

Local traffic will be diverted on to the A5 through the village of Caergeiliog, which was the original route to the port before the A55 was extended in 2001.

Councillor Gwilym O Jones said he had been "assured" measures including a lower speed limit and enforcement would be in place.

"I'm very pleased that people are listening to what I've been asking for," he added.