81-634: [REDACTED] M4 [REDACTED] A4067 [REDACTED] A4217 [REDACTED] A4118 [REDACTED] A4216 [REDACTED] A484 [REDACTED] M4 [REDACTED] M4 [REDACTED] A474 [REDACTED] A476 [REDACTED] A470 [REDACTED] A4081 [REDACTED] A489 [REDACTED] A458 [REDACTED] A495 [REDACTED] A539 [REDACTED] A5152 [REDACTED] A525 [REDACTED] A541 [REDACTED] A5152 [REDACTED] A5156 [REDACTED] A5104 [REDACTED] A5268 The A483 , officially described as
162-550: A fish pass and fish counting station to monitor the numbers of salmon ascending the river, and also a weirgate for navigating the weir at spring tides. A little further downstream stands the Grosvenor Bridge (designed by architect Thomas Harrison of Chester), which was opened in 1833 to ease congestion on the Old Dee Bridge. This bridge was opened by Princess Victoria five years before she became Queen. The other side of
243-579: A swing bridge but now never opened. It carries the Bidston to Wrexham Central Borderlands Line over the river. Hawarden Bridge station serves the Deeside Industrial Park, Deeside Power Station and the works at Dee Marsh. A footbridge replaced the passenger ferry at Saltney in the 1970s. Beyond Connah's Quay the river opens out into the Dee Estuary , forming the northeasternmost section of
324-588: A U-turn at either of them. Junction 8/9 near Maidenhead , Berkshire , and High Wycombe , Buckinghamshire is the only one in the UK with dual numbers. This arose at the time when the M4 turned north near junction 8, where it met the A308, and headed for the original junction 9, where the motorway ended at a roundabout interchange with the A4 . When the westward extension was opened, junction 8
405-569: A great variety of smaller industries concentrated around Wrexham . The main impact on the river of these industries is their thirst for a dependable good quality water supply. Previously the wings for the Airbus A380 , which were made at Airbus's manufacturing factory in Broughton , were taken downriver by barge to the Port of Mostyn because they were too large to be shipped in an Airbus Beluga . However,
486-456: A new business park on a 125 acres (51 ha) site north of the M4 were submitted in 2007 to Cardiff Council . The developers of the business park, St Modwen Developments , would likely fund the new junction, which would be on the A469 . A freedom of information request in 2010 to Cardiff Council shows that whilst the land that would enable this junction should continue to be strategically protected,
567-516: A northwesterly direction. It meets the M4 again at junction 47 at Penllergaer , after which it multiplexes with the A48 along Swansea Road, Bryntirion Road and Bolgoed Road to Pontarddulais . After Pontarddulais, the route continues along Heol Fforest and Carmarthen Road. It diverges from the A48 at the M4 junction 49, turning northeast towards Ammanford and then north towards Llandeilo . At Llandeilo it joins
648-500: A pilot scheme and then a permanent arrangement from 2001. A lower speed limit was introduced along this section at the same time. The 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (5.6 km) bus lane was on the eastbound carriageway; from the western end of the Chiswick Flyover near Brentford to junction 3 (A312), covering part of the 15-mile (24 km) journey between Heathrow Airport and central London. The lane which had no intermediate exits
729-574: A reduction in road spray from other vehicles and improved visibility. This special surface was publicised in an episode of the BBC's Tomorrow's World programme. This was the site of the first trial of the new road surface when it was laid down in 1993. The elevated section of the M4 in West London, built in the 1960s, is mostly directly above the A4 and extends over parts of Brentford 's Golden Mile . This section
810-535: A restricted two lane section through the Brynglas Tunnels. Heavy congestion occurs along this stretch and either side of it at peak hours." Data from driver location signs and location marker posts are used to provide distance and carriageway identification information. Where a junction spans several hundred metres and the data is available, both the start and finish values for the junction are shown. Although not signed, European route E30 includes most of
891-451: A straight line for 8 km (5 miles), passes into Wales and Flintshire at Saltney . On the west shore is Hawarden Airport and the large Airbus factory at Broughton . This region is known as Deeside and contains several heavy industries. From here the Dee passes beneath three road bridges. The first two are adjacent to each other at Queensferry . They are a 1960s fixed-arch bridge carrying
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#1732847890448972-691: A tolled bypass in 2007 and later abandoned it for financial reasons. An extension to the Newport Southern Distributor Road through the old Corus steel works was considered. This road is already a dual carriageway. A public consultation exercise on options for improving the capacity of the M4 corridor around Newport opened on 5 March 2012. Its website states that: "the motorway around Newport does not conform to today's motorway standards. It lacks continuous hard shoulders, has closely spaced junctions with sub-standard slip road visibility and narrows to
1053-556: Is a back entrance to RAF Welford , a Second World War airfield and now an RAF/ USAF military installation mainly used for storing munitions. The M4 entrance allows easier access for the large vehicles used to carry the munitions. Plans for the "missing" Junction 31, also known as the Thornhill interchange , for which planning permission was originally granted in September 1991 (but subsequently expired), were rekindled after proposals for
1134-684: Is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument and considered one of the Seven Wonders of Wales . On leaving Llangollen the river continues east, to the south of the Carboniferous Limestone exposures of Eglwyseg Rocks ( Welsh : Creigiau Eglwyseg ) and Trevor Rocks. Overlooking the river here is the medieval Castell Dinas Brân , a ruined fortress abandoned by John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey in 1282. The river then enters Wrexham County Borough , passing south of Trevor and under Thomas Telford's Pontcysyllte Aqueduct , of 1805, which carries
1215-448: Is not classified as part of the M25 motorway ). In July 2011, a lorry fire in one tunnel closed the motorway. Although there were no injuries and no deaths, the tunnel remained closed and a contraflow system was in place in the remaining tunnel for about one month, causing major travel delays. In June 1999, the M4 bus lane was created on the third lane between junctions 2 and 3, initially as
1296-500: Is paddleable year-round (thanks to the Dee Regulation Scheme). Canoeing used to be allowed on about twelve weekends per year, and tens of thousands of canoeists descended on Llangollen for recreational paddling (several Dee tours were held every winter), slalom competitions, and wild water races . In 2003, negotiations with the angling associations owning fishing rights on the Dee broke down. The anglers wanted to restrict
1377-451: Is still visible today, used as a pumping station for water since 1951. However the first water pumping station here was set up in 1600 by John Tyrer who pumped water to a square tower built on the city's Bridgegate. It was destroyed in the Civil War but an octagonal tower built in 1690 for the same purpose lasted until the gate was replaced with an arch in the mid-18th century. On this weir is
1458-551: Is the responsibility of National Highways . The 76 miles (122 km) in Wales is the responsibility of the South Wales Trunk Road Agent . For the majority of its length, the national speed limit applies. Exceptions include the following: The first section of smart motorway on the M4, between junctions 19 (M32) and 20 (M5) north of Bristol, has variable speed limits and includes a part-time hard-shoulder. Completion
1539-544: The A40 , then multiplexes with this route as far as Llandovery . From here, it continues north into Powys. The A483 continues through Llanwrtyd Wells , Builth Wells (where it intersects with the A470 ) and Llandrindod Wells . It intersects with the A44 at Crossgates , just north of Llandrindod Wells, then continues to Newtown . The original route, through the centre of the town, passed under
1620-517: The A494 Queensferry to Dolgellau trunk road and its predecessor the Jubilee Bridge , which is a rolling bascule bridge completed in 1926. The third crossing, and the most recent, is at Connah's Quay . The Flintshire Bridge is a fixed cable-stayed bridge which opened in 1999. Between the second and third road bridges is Hawarden railway bridge at Shotton, originally constructed as
1701-681: The Cambrian Line at the Dolfor Road Railway Bridge. This low bridge, with a height restriction of 13 ft 3 in (4.04 m), was hit by high vehicles on many occasions. A bypass to the Southeast of Newtown was opened in 2019, crossing the Cambrian Line to the East of the town before rejoining the original route. From Newtown, the road continues to Welshpool , running roughly parallel to
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#17328478904481782-489: The Chester Raft Race is held on the Dee in aid of charity. The Deva (Chester) Triathlon uses the Dee for the swim leg of the race. The rowing clubs on the Dee are Royal Chester Rowing Club (hosting also Chester University Rowing Club) and Grosvenor Rowing Club . King's School Rowing Club and Queens Park High School are school-dedicated rowing clubs. All these share the slightly meandering Chester/lower reach above
1863-577: The Iron Age hillfort of Caer Drewyn and enters the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB . Through its forested valley the course takes it through Carrog , Glyndyfrdwy and Llantysilio , with the Llangollen Railway following the river on its route between Llangollen and Corwen . At Berwyn the river passes over the manmade Horseshoe Falls , before picking up speed on a downhill gradient past
1944-643: The Llangollen Canal 120 feet (37 m) overhead. Less than a mile east of the aqueduct at Cefn Mawr , the river is crossed by the Cefn Mawr Viaduct , built in 1848 by Thomas Brassey and carrying the Shrewsbury to Chester railway line over the Dee. Beyond this point the river forms the boundary between Wrexham County Borough in Wales and Shropshire in the West Midlands of England. Passing Chirk and
2025-723: The London-South Wales Motorway , is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales . The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely complete by 1980, though a non-motorway section around Briton Ferry bridge remained until 1993. On the opening of the Second Severn Crossing in 1996, the M4 was rerouted over it. The line of
2106-562: The M49 was opened to link the new crossing with the M5 at Avonmouth . The new M49 shortened the route between South Wales and the South West, and reduced traffic at the busy M4/M5 junction at Almondsbury. In April 2005, speed checks carried out by police camera vans between junction 14 and junction 18 led to a public protest, involving a "go-slow" of several hundred vehicles along the affected sections of
2187-640: The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside , North West England . The estuary continues to widen until finally entering the Irish Sea and Liverpool Bay between the northernmost point of mainland Wales, Point of Ayr at Talacre , Flintshire and Hilbre Point, near Hoylake and West Kirby in Wirral , Merseyside . Hilbre Island , part of Wirral, straddles the mouth of the estuary at this point. The waters of
2268-569: The North Wales coast and the western coast of the Wirral . Towns along the coast include Flint , Holywell and Mostyn on the Welsh side and Neston , Parkgate, Heswall , West Kirby and Hoylake on the Wirral side. South of Bagillt and Parkgate the Dee Estuary forms the boundary between the local authority areas of Flintshire and Cheshire West and Chester . Northwards it forms the boundary with
2349-465: The River Neath , which would allow access onto the stretch of the M4 from junction 43 westward. The second, eastern junction leads to and from the A48 towards Port Talbot . As a result, one can travel for almost 2 miles (3.2 km) on the motorway in either direction, both joining and then leaving the motorway at junction 41. Junction 44 is unusual in that the eastbound entrance dives under the inside of
2430-964: The River Severn , before crossing the border into England at Llanymynech . From Llanymynech, the A483 continues north, bypassing Oswestry . Here, it picks up a multiplex with the A5 ; the two routes then cross into Wales at Chirk . After the A5 diverges to the west at Chirk, the A483 crosses the River Dee , then reaches Ruabon . Here, it becomes a dual carriageway with numbered grade-separated junctions. Junction 1 – A539 Ruabon Junction 2 – B5426 Johnstown Junction 3 – A5152 Croesfoel Junction 4 – A525 Ruthin Road Junction 5 – A541 Mold Road Junction 6 – A5156 (A534) Gresford Junction 7 – B5102 Rossett Just south of Chester ,
2511-746: The Swansea to Manchester Trunk Road , although now ending in Chester, is a major road in the United Kingdom . It runs from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England via Llandovery , Llandrindod Wells , Oswestry and Wrexham , a distance of around 153 miles (246 km). The A483 begins at the M4 motorway junction 42, just east of Swansea. It travels west along the Fabian Way towards Swansea city centre, where it turns to
A483 road - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-603: The 13th century (in mainstream Middle English orthography , lacking the letters v and w) as flumen Dubr Duiu ; the name appears to derive from the Brythonic dēvā : "River of the Goddess" or " Holy River ". The river is personified as the war and fate goddess Aerfen . The river name inspired the name of Roman fortress Deva Victrix . It is the only river in the UK to be subject to a Water Protection Zone along its whole length down to Chester weir. The total catchment area of
2673-554: The 14th-century, Grade I listed Farndon Bridge . One of the major tributaries of the Dee, the River Alyn ( Afon Alun ), crosses the Carboniferous Limestone from Mynydd Helygain (a.k.a. Halkyn Mountain) and runs down through the Loggerheads area before making its confluence north of Holt. Throughout the length of the Alyn there are numerous swallow holes and caverns and during
2754-605: The A483 intersects with the A55 North Wales Expressway . It then continues as a single carriageway to its terminus at the city centre, crossing the Grosvenor Bridge over the Dee. There have been demands for a dual carriageway from Shrewsbury to Wrexham, including the section of the A483 from Oswestry to Ruabon; also a campaign by residents for a bypassing Llanymynech and Pant . [REDACTED] Media related to A483 road (Great Britain) at Wikimedia Commons M4 motorway (Great Britain) The M4 , originally
2835-503: The Chain Bridge Hotel and its historic pedestrian bridge. First built in 1814, and later refurbished by Henry Robertson in 1870, it was considered a marvel of early suspension bridge design. In 1928 the original bridge was destroyed by severe flooding and was rebuilt in its current form from original parts in 1929. The course of the river then takes it through Llangollen and under its 16th-century, Grade I listed bridge . The bridge
2916-525: The Dee then converge with those of the River Mersey and Ribble , producing a notable drop in salinity and increase in sediment which can be tracked a considerable distance along the Sefton and Lancashire coasts. The estuary is hugely important for birdlife and has been designated both as an SSSI and as a Ramsar site accordingly. Its value lies in the huge expanses of mud which are exposed between tides and
2997-581: The Earl's Eye(s) meadow at Queen's Park . In this vicinity, the riverside is used as a recreation area with a bandstand, benches and boat cruises, being crossed by four bridges. The first is the Queen's Park Suspension Bridge , which forms the only exclusively pedestrian footway across the river in Chester. The second is the Old Dee Bridge , a road bridge and by far the oldest bridge in Chester, being built in about 1387 on
3078-507: The England–Wales border before fully entering England north-east of Wrexham. It flows through Chester then re-enters Wales; the final section is canalised and discharges to the Irish Sea via an estuary 23 km (14 miles) long. The River Dee was the traditional boundary of the Kingdom of Gwynedd in Wales for centuries, possibly since its founding in the 5th century. It was recorded in
3159-626: The Grosvenor Bridge is the Roodee , Chester's race course and the oldest course in the country. This used to be the site of Chester's Roman harbour until, aided by the building of the weir, the River Dee silted up to become the size it is today. The only curiously remaining reminder of this site's maritime past is a stone cross which stands in the middle of the Roodee which exhibits the marks of water ripples. To
3240-515: The M4 would terminate at Tredegar Park west of Newport, and following the creation of the Welsh Office that the Government became committed to a high-standard dual carriageway to Carmarthenshire . The English section of the motorway was completed on 22 December 1971 when the 50-mile (80 km) stretch between junctions 9 and 15 Maidenhead and Swindon ) was opened to traffic. The Welsh section
3321-580: The M4. The entire route runs 6,530 kilometres (4,060 mi) between Cork in Ireland and Omsk in Russia. [REDACTED] Geographic data related to M4 motorway at OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as: River Dee, Wales The River Dee ( Welsh : Afon Dyfrdwy , Latin : Deva Fluvius ) is a river flowing through North Wales , and through Cheshire , England, in Great Britain . The length of
A483 road - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-477: The Mereoak roundabout and part of the A33 Swallowfield Bypass near Shinfield , and also the conversion of the two existing bridges, one of which is available only to pedestrians and cyclists and the other to buses. It also involved the movement of the local Highways Agency and Fire Service offices, and the construction of a long footbridge network, a new bus lane and a new gyratory . Sound barriers for nearby residential areas were also installed. In April 2008,
3483-486: The Netherlands and paid for by local merchants and Chester Corporation. It was an attempt to improve navigation for shipping and reduce silting. Chester's trade had declined steadily since the end of the 17th century as sediment had prevented larger craft reaching the city, spelling the end for the Port of Chester. After four years' work, the river was diverted from its meandering natural course which passed Blacon , Saughall , Shotwick Castle , Burton and Parkgate and up
3564-448: The River Dee down to Chester Weir is 1,816.8 km (701.5 sq mi). The estimated average annual rainfall over the catchment area is 640 mm (25 in), yielding an average flow of 37 m /s . The larger reservoirs in the catchment area are: The River Dee has its source on the slopes of Dduallt above Llanuwchllyn in the mountains of Snowdonia in Meirionydd , Gwynedd , Wales. Between its source and Bala Lake
3645-409: The United Kingdom. Work started in autumn 2018 and was completed ahead of schedule in December 2021 at a cost of £848 million. Further conversions to smart motorways have been halted indefinitely. The Brynglas Tunnels carry the M4 under Brynglas Hill in Newport. The 360-metre-long (390 yd) tunnels are the first and only twin–bored tunnels in the UK motorway network (the Dartford Tunnel
3726-531: The area by the presence of coal mines and later by the deep deposits of Carboniferous clays used to make bricks and tiles . The coal industry in particular gave rise to a number of chemical industries some of which survive to this day and which both take water from the river and discharge their cleaned up effluent back into the river. Industries in the valley include commercial chemicals manufacture, wood chip and MDF fabrication, cocoa milling, fibreglass manufacture, waste disposal (in old clay pits ) and
3807-434: The confluence with the River Ceiriog , the river begins to trace gentle meanders on the level ground at the beginning of the Cheshire Plain . The course continues past Erbistock on the Welsh side, and the 5th-century earthwork of Wat's Dyke on the English, before passing wholly into Wales at Overton bridge. A couple more miles downstream is Bangor-on-Dee , known for its racecourse and its bridge . Until 1974 this area
3888-462: The decision to formally abandon the proposed Junction 31 Thornhill was made in October 2007 and there had been no subsequent mention of it in Cardiff Council Strategic or Planning meetings since. In South Wales, the M4 has to thread its way through mountainous terrain and built-up areas, so there are some unusual junction layouts. Junction 27 ( High Cross ) is a normal grade-separated roundabout junction, but has severe space constraints: traffic joining
3969-421: The decision to preserve a rare Vickers machine gun pillbox and turn it into a bat roost was announced by the developers. Tolls were charged on the Severn Bridge(s) from opening until 2018. In 1966 the toll was 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 pre-decimal pence each-way for cars, rising to £1 in the late 1980s. Around 1991 the toll was doubled but charged in the westbound direction only, to reduce queuing. After 1996,
4050-407: The dredging of the river for the barge may be responsible for a weakening of the tidal bore . There are a number of direct water abstractions upstream of Chester by three water companies and by the canal. The size of the abstraction is very large compared to the summer flow and the flow in the river is very highly regulated through the use of reservoirs to store water in the winter and release it in
4131-405: The end of the Roodee the river is crossed by Chester's fourth bridge which carries the North Wales Coast railway line , before leaving Chester. This was the scene of one of the first serious railway accidents in the country, the Dee bridge disaster . West of Chester, the river flows along an artificial channel excavated between 1732 and 1736. The work was planned and undertaken by engineers from
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#17328478904484212-476: The extensive saltmarsh developed on both sides but principally on the right bank north and south of Neston. The estuary owes its origins to the scouring of a broad channel through the Triassic sandstones and Carboniferous mudstones by glacial ice during successive ice ages to form an iceway . The channel continues inland south of Chester but its higher reaches have long since been infilled with sand, gravel and mud. The process of infilling by mud continues to
4293-420: The junction, effectively creating a "right-turn" on a roundabout. Similarly, slip roads pass under or over the main motorway at junctions 41 and 42. There have been calls to close the slip roads at junctions 40 and 41 to improve traffic flow. The motorway has only two lanes on this stretch and is a major traffic congestion blackspot. The short slip roads have not been modernised. A small-scale trial of closing
4374-485: The main River Dee approaches the Cheshire border and the Carboniferous Coal Measures , it turns sharply northwards before meandering up to Chester . This long stretch of the river drops in height by only a few feet. The rich adjoining farmland has many remnants of abandoned coal workings and deep clay pits used to make bricks and tiles . A number of these pits are now being used as landfill sites for domestic and commercial waste. Approaching Churton and Aldford ,
4455-404: The main section from Bala to Chester is 113 km (70 miles) and it is largely located in Wales . The stretch between Aldford and Chester is within England, and two other sections form the border between the two countries. The river rises on Dduallt in Snowdonia and flows east through Bala Lake , Corwen , and Llangollen . It turns north near Overton-on-Dee and forms part of
4536-591: The motorway from London to Bristol runs closely in parallel with the A4 . After crossing the River Severn , toll-free since 17 December 2018, the motorway follows the A48 , to terminate at the Pont Abraham services in Carmarthenshire . The M4 is the only motorway in Wales apart from its two spurs : the A48(M) and the M48 . The major towns and cities along the route—a distance of approximately 189 miles (304 km)—include Slough , Reading , Swindon , Bristol, Newport , Cardiff , Bridgend , Port Talbot and Swansea . A new road from London to South Wales
4617-407: The motorway from a single slip road onto the westbound carriageway from the A48 at junction 38. There is no exit from the motorway at this junction. Junction 41 comprises two different junctions; one for local traffic to and from the west and one from the east. The former leads to and from a spur leading to the roundabout in Briton Ferry , formerly known as junction 41a, and the original bridge over
4698-441: The motorway must initially travel in the opposite direction to the intended direction of travel, before making a sharp left-hand turn from the slip road onto the motorway. At the time of construction, junction numbers 30 and 31 were reserved for future intermediate interchanges. Junction 30 ( Cardiff Gate ) has since been added, but there are no current plans to construct Junction 31 ( A469 road ). Junction 39 can only be used to access
4779-405: The motorway. Between 2007 and January 2010, the section from Castleton (junction 29) to Coryton (junction 32) was widened to six lanes. The scheme was formally opened on 25 January 2010 by Ieuan Wyn Jones the Deputy First Minister for Wales . During 2009, the Newport section of the motorway between junctions 23a and 29 was upgraded with a new concrete central barrier. In February 2010, it
4860-452: The numbers of paddlers on the river when paddling was allowed but the Welsh Canoe Association wanted to renew the previous agreement. In November 2004, a protest about the lack of access on the Dee, and to rivers across England and Wales, was held in Llangollen. Following the failure of the access agreement, the Welsh Canoeing Association advises canoeists to use their own judgement about using the river, which in practice means many canoeists use
4941-399: The path of the river takes it past Llandderfel and under the Grade II listed Pont Fawr bridge. The river trends generally northeast through the Vale of Edeyrnion, shadowed by the B4401 Bala to Cynwyd road. Leaving Gwynedd and entering Denbighshire the Dee flows beneath other historic bridges at Llandrillo and Cynwyd before arriving at the town of Corwen . From here the river passes
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#17328478904485022-438: The present day as the rapid growth of the saltmarsh in the last century testifies, pushing the high tide line further out into the estuary. Large parts of the catchment are devoted to agriculture and there a number of abstractions made from the river for summer irrigation. The volumes involved are not however significant. From Chirk downstream, the river valley has supported a wide range of industries that were initially drawn to
5103-422: The river at will from the numerous access points along its banks. Canoeing is permitted on one 100 m long rapid, 1 km upstream of Llangollen. Wildwater and slalom races are still held at Serpent's Tail rapid upstream of Llangollen. A major tributary of the Dee, the River Tryweryn , supports a wide range of water sports and hosts the Canolfan Tryweryn - the national white water centre for Wales. Each July
5184-422: The river crosses entirely into England, and passes the grand country house of Eaton Hall , seat of the Duke of Westminster . The river then continues past the village of Eccleston and beneath the A55 North Wales Expressway, tracing northwards past the Roman Eaton Road to the Chester suburbs of Huntington and Handbridge before reaching the centre of Chester. In the city centre the river passes and around
5265-416: The river is known by its Welsh name, Afon Dyfrdwy . Legend tells that the waters of the river pass through Bala Lake and emerge undiluted and unmixed at the outflow. On leaving Bala the river meets its confluence with Afon Tryweryn and passes through the Bala sluice gates, part of the Dee Regulation System protecting communities further downstream from severe flooding. Skirting the village of Llanfor ,
5346-458: The section from Slough to Maidenhead (J5-J7) opened in 1963 and J1-J5 opened on 24 March 1965 incorporating the Chiswick Flyover. The stretch from J18 to the west of Newport was opened in 1966, including the Severn Bridge . The Port Talbot by-pass, also built in the 1960s and now part of the M4, was originally the A48(M) motorway , a number now allocated to a short section of motorway near Cardiff. The Ministry of Transport originally intended that
5427-424: The site of a series of wooden predecessors which dated originally from the Roman period. Above the Old Dee Bridge is Chester Weir , which was built by Hugh Lupus to supply power to his corn mills. Throughout the centuries the weir has been used to power corn, fulling , needle, snuff and flint mills. The same weir was used as part of a hydroelectric scheme in 1911 with the help of a small generator building which
5508-409: The summer months long stretches of the river bed run dry. These caves include Ogof Hesp Alyn and Ogof Hen Ffynhonnau . A significant part of this lost flow reemerges in the Milwr Tunnel , a manmade tunnel, entering the west bank of the Dee estuary and carrying 12 million imperial gallons per day (600 L/s). This tunnel was originally constructed to drain metal mines in Halkyn Mountain. Once
5589-487: The summer. The whole system is managed as the Dee Regulation Scheme . Below Chester water is also abstracted as cooling water by the gas-fired power station at Connah's Quay . Process and cooling water is also abstracted for the paper mill and power station at Shotton . The Dee used to be a popular whitewater kayaking and touring river (particularly the grade III/IV whitewater section upstream of Llangollen). It stays high after rain for longer than most British rivers and
5670-404: The tolls were equal westbound-only on both bridges, and rose steeply after 2000 to a peak of £6.70 for cars in 2017, leading to protests from Welsh businesses. Tolls on both bridges over the River Severn were eliminated on 17 December 2018, and the former toll booths were removed in 2019. Maintenance of the Second Severn Crossing and the 123 miles (198 km) of motorway in England
5751-427: The weir. The river has been famed as a mixed fishery with salmon and trout fishing, mostly in the upper waters and a good coarse fishery in the lower reaches. A major pollution incident in the middle reaches in the late 1990s did extensive damage to the fishery from which it is now largely recovered. Afon Dyfrdwy (River Dee) is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the preserved county of Clwyd , along
5832-469: The west shore of Wirral . Instead, the new canalised section followed the coast along northeast Wales. During this time, Sealand and Shotton were reclaimed from the estuary . Land reclamation in this area continued until 1916. The river's natural course can still be determined by following the bank and low bluffs that mark the western edge of the Wirral Peninsula. The manmade channel, which runs in
5913-466: The westbound on-slip of junction 41 between 7 am and 9 am and from 4 pm to 6 pm on weekdays started on 4 August 2014 but following heavy criticism from local businesses and residents, was stopped on 29 May 2015. On 5 June 2019, the Welsh Government scrapped the proposal for a proposed motorway south of Newport . The Welsh Assembly Government had revived the scheme as
5994-406: Was closed and a new junction built a little to the west, taking both numbers. The road to the A4 became A423(M) and later A404(M) , and the junction with the A4 became 9B. Junction 9A is the exit for Cox Green and White Waltham . To the west of junction 13 on the eastbound carriageway there are a set of sliproads signposted "Works Unit Only". The signs have red borders, implying a military exit. It
6075-534: Was designed to have a heated road surface to reduce icing in winter. The M4 has two of the three four-level stack interchanges in the UK, including the first UK example at junction 20, the " Almondsbury Interchange " with the M5. The other is at junction 4b, the " Thorney Interchange " with the M25; this interchange has to make provision for a railway line passing beneath the M4. Due to the nature of these junctions, one cannot make
6156-452: Was first proposed in the 1930s. In 1956 the Ministry of Transport announced the plans for the first major post-war road improvement projects. The Chiswick flyover , a short section of elevated dual-carriageway, not originally classed as a motorway, opened in 1959 to reduce the impact of traffic travelling between central London and the west. The Maidenhead bypass (J7-J9) opened in 1961,
6237-455: Was for use by buses, coaches, motorcycles, emergency vehicles and licensed taxis but not mini-cabs. In December 2010, the bus lane was suspended for 18 months. It was reinstated temporarily for the 2012 Summer Olympics and then permanently decommissioned. Near junction 35 of the M4, there is a stretch of the motorway that has a surfacing of porous asphalt that improves drainage and reduces noise. When driving in heavy rain drivers notice
6318-473: Was in summer 2014. Another section between junctions 24 and 29 in Newport had variable speed limits until 2021, when it was changed to a permanent 50 mph (80 km/h) limit with average speed cameras. In 2010, it was announced that the motorway would be changed to a smart motorway between junctions 3 and 12. With a length of 32 miles (51 km), on completion it became the longest smart motorway scheme in
6399-560: Was largely completed between 1970 and 1980, though a non-motorway section remained across the Briton Ferry bridge until 1993, when a second motorway-only bridge opened. In 1996, the Second Severn Crossing opened with new link motorways on either side of the estuary to divert the M4 over the new crossing. At the same time, the original route over the Severn Bridge was redesignated the M48 , and
6480-591: Was part of an exclave of historic Flintshire known as English Maelor ( Welsh : Maelor Saesneg ). The Dee continues to meander past Worthenbury where it is joined by the River Clywedog . At this point the border between Wrexham and Cheshire West and Chester follows the course of the river. It passes the Cheshire village of Crewe by Farndon , before cutting between Holt in Wales and Farndon in England beneath
6561-474: Was proposed that the M4 in South Wales would become the first hydrogen highway with hydrogen stations provided along the route, with an aspiration for further stations to be provided along the M4 into South West England over time. Between 2008 and 2010, junction 11 was extensively remodelled with a new four-lane junction, two new road bridges and other works. The £65 million scheme included work on
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