A5223
From Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki
| A5223 | ||||
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| From: | Shawbirch (SJ646135) | |||
| To: | Horsehay (SJ665061) | |||
| Via: | Wellington | |||
| Length: | 5.5 miles (8.9 km) | |||
| Meets: | M54, A442, A4169 | |||
| Former Number(s): | A518 | |||
| Primary Destinations | ||||
| Telford • | ||||
| Highways Authorities | ||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||
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For the short-lived previous incarnation, also in Telford, see A5223 (Wellington).
The A5223 runs along the western side of Telford, meeting the M54 at junction 6. With the A442 and A4169, it forms a box around the majority of the urban area.
Route
The A5223 starts on the northern edge of the Telford urban area in the Shawbirch district at a roundabout junction with the A442. It heads generally southeastwards as a single-carriageway route along the eastern edge of Wellington, passing the Princess Royal hospital as it does so.
Before long, it changes from a southeasterly direction to a southerly, and passes near to The Bucks Head, home ground of AFC Telford before becoming dual carriageway at the junction with the B5061, the original route of A5 and part of Thomas Telford's Holyhead Road. Almost immediately after gaining an extra carriageway, there is a tiny teardrop-shaped roundabout allowing access to a retail park, followed by Ketley Dingle Interchange (M54 junction 6.
South of M54, the A5223 widens out, passing between the Lawley and Newdale areas, before moving onto the pre-New Town Wellington Road. Whilst the Wellington Road section has been widened, it retains the feel of an older section of road and includes the only frontages on the entire route in Horsehay. South of Horsehay Roundabout, the A5223 leaves the earlier alignment and returns to its New Town feel, before terminating on the southwestern side of Telford on the A4169 at Jiggers Roundabout.
History
The A5223 is built along the line of Telford's uncompleted Western Primary Route, to complement A442 to the east of the town centre. There are several half-completed junctions (most notably Ketley Dingle Interchange, M54 junction 6) and sections where only a single carriageway of a planned dual carriageway have been constructed with the space allocated for a second carriageway alongside.
In other locations, the carriageway is placed down the centre of the reserved line, or meanders across it from side to side meaning that the reserved line is not obvious.
As Telford slowly expands westwards, the A5223 is seeing a programme of upgrades. Although these upgrades are not to the originally planned standards with grade-separated junctions, it is seeing conversion to a dual carriageway within the originally reserved highway boundaries.
Named Junctions
Heading North to South, the following junctions have names:
| Image | Name | Classified Road(s) | Grid Reference | More Info | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawbirch Roundabout | A442 • B5063 | SJ646135 | | ||
| Apley Roundabout | SJ654125 | | |||
| Ketley Brook Roundabout | B5061 | SJ668110 | | ||
| Ketley Dingle Interchange | M54 | SJ670102 | M54 junction 6 | | |
| Lawley Common Roundabout | SJ673083 | | |||
| Haybridge Roundabout | SJ680077 | | |||
| Horsehay Roundabout | SJ669071 | | |||
| Jiggers Roundabout | A4169 | SJ665061 | |
| A5223 | ||||
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