This article is about the current route of A5223 along the western edge of Telford. 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.
Roadworks converting the A5223 to dual carriageway just south of the M54
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 the 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 the M54, the A5223 widens out (although we're back to single-carriageway), passing between the Lawley and Newdale areas, before moving onto the pre-New Town Wellington Road (a former route of the B4373). 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 upgraded section south of Newdale Cross in 2010
The A5223 is built along the line of Telford's uncompleted Western Primary Route, to complement the 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: