A5025

Route

The A5025 is the longest A-road on Anglesey. It follows (not particularly closely) the northern half of the coast, from Llanfair PG in the east to Valley in the west.

The road starts at A55 J8 on the Llanfair PG bypass. The road from here into the village is unclassified and the A5025 heads in the other direction. It crosses the B5420 at a roundabout at Four Crosses, on the western edge of the town of Menai Bridge and then continues north across the fields. The terrain is initially fairly flat, although a few small valleys are crossed, before the road descends to enter Pentraeth, crossing the B5109 in the village centre.

Continuing north, the road crosses a dismantled railway line twice before reaching the coastal town of Benllech. The A5025 remains inland and the sea does not even become visible. We continue north, always under a mile from the coast but rarely within sight of it, before reaching a roundabout. Right is the A5108 to Moelfre whilst we turn left. We head inland for a short distance before continuing to follow the coast north. A couple more valleys are crossed and then the road bypasses Penysarn. After another mile or so a roundabout is reached where the B5111 comes in from the left and we continue ahead to enter Amlwch.

Disused level crossing at Amlwch

After crossing an obviously disused level crossing on the mothballed Amlwch branch line the B5111 reappears in the town centre by turning left. We now continue to the north with a view of the coast along Bull Bay, after which we descend into the village with the same name and actually run along the shore for a short distance. We now turn inland and head back south once more to meet the B5111 for the last time near Burwen. Having reached the northern end of Anglesey we now head westwards across undulating terrain with the sea, to the right, still barely visible. Presently we reach, and bypass, the coastal village of Cemaes.

We rejoin the old road at a roundabout and then start heading southwestwards. This part of the island is relatively hilly and so the road is winding. It is not particularly built-up, however, with the villages being off the road rather than on it; even villages we go through, such as Llanfaethlu, have their centres off the road.

Presently we reach Llanfachraeth, where we do form the village's main street. The B5109 is then met a second time, after which the road levels out and follows a straight, flat route into Valley. The road ends at a signalised crossroads on the eastern edge of the village on the A5, with the B4545 continuing ahead.

History

The short A5025 in 1923

The A5025 is now around 177 times longer than it was in the 1922 Road Lists. Then, it was only the short Dale Street in Menai Bridge, linking the A545 and A5. However, it was extended in the late 1920s up to Amlwch and down to Valley, taking over two B-roads to give it more-or-less its current route.

When the Britannia Bridge was opened to road traffic in 1980, the A5 was rerouted away from Menai Bridge and the A5025 went with it. The number was swapped with the B5420 (which now goes through Menai Bridge to meet the A545) and so the A5025 ended on the A5 (now A55) Llanfair PG bypass.

Amlwch Relief Road was opened on 12 July 1984. The official opening was planned to be later. Cost was £260,000.