The preferred route for a £200m road upgrade is to be announced tomorrow.

It is understood by the Leader that the Welsh Government is likely to move ahead with the ‘red’ route as part of the revamp of the A494/A55/A548 ‘Deeside Corridor’.

The red route involves a new road between the A55 and A458 via the Flintshire Bridge and a new junction to join the A55 near Northop/Flint Mountain.

It was also the preferred route put forward by Flintshire Council.

Ken Skates, Welsh Government cabinet secretary for economy and infrastructure and Assembly Member for Clwyd South, is expected to announce the Senedd's preferred option in an oral statement tomorrow.

Speaking to the Leader, Mr Skates said the road upgrades will deliver “a huge boost to the economy and the communities of Flintshire and beyond.”

When the plans to upgrade the road network were announced, Welsh Government officials said “the A494/A55 between the River Dee and Northop Interchange is a dual two-lane road. It experiences congestion frequently.

“The road experiences more traffic than it was designed for, and is below modern standards.

“It is poorly aligned and there is nowhere for broken down vehicles to pull off the road.

“Some of the junctions have slip roads that are too short or too close to the road, some of which have poor visibility.

“It is at these junctions that the majority of accidents occur.”

In the public consultation held into the plans, almost 75 per cent of respondents came out in favour of the red route with 80 per cent saying it was important to improve the transport network in the area.

Ahead of his statement, Mr Skates told the Leader that all options had been considered prior to the decision being made.

“Improving the main arterial road across North Wales is a priority for Welsh Government.

“The Deeside Corridor requires significant attention in order to reduce congestion and improve resilience.

“We intend to dedicate at least £200m to this scheme which will deliver a huge boost to the economy and the communities of Flintshire and beyond.

“The consultation has generated phenomenal interest and we have carefully considered all observations,” he said.

A document released in June confirmed that Flintshire Council had supported the red route as “on balance” it was “the most beneficial route to the council and North Wales” offering “both strategic long term network improvements... as well as providing for improved economic and social connectivity and benefits.”

Residents held protests against any possible adoption of the blue route, claiming it would “cut off” communities and bring about “unacceptable levels” of pollution.