A55 road

The A55 runs from Chester in Cheshire across North Wales to the port of Holyhead. It is mostly a dual carriageway with grade-separated junctions, except for a roundabout near Penmaenmawr and another near Llanfairfechan. The road crosses the Dee at Chester, passes close to Broughton and Flintshire, then climbs towards Halkyn Mountain before descending to the coast at Pensarn. From there it follows the North Wales Coast railway to Bangor. The A55 carries the European route E22 from Holyhead to Russia. Parts of the route were built as special roads with 70 mph limits because they were planned under motorway legislation but never designated as motorways. The Conwy Tunnel, opened in 1991, is the longest road tunnel in Wales at 1,060 metres. Its construction avoided spoiling views of Conwy Castle and preserved mussel beds downstream. Beyond Conwy the A55 passes through two older tunnels at Penmaenbach and Pen-y-clip, built in the 1930s to replace Telford’s narrow cliff road. That historic route is now a cycleway along the headlands. The modern road continues west through tunnels and cuttings, offering views of Snowdonia before reaching Anglesey.