According to the Welsh Government’s director general of economy, science and transport James Price, the £1 billion estimated cost of turning the A55 into a motorway makes the idea unaffordable in the current economic climate.

He suggested that a number of small-scale measures could help cut congestion on the road, which he admitted could sometimes descend into “mayhem”. Hardened verges, similar to a hard shoulder, could be used to mitigate the impact of breakdowns and other issues.

Mr Price also proposed extra gates across the central reservation, which would help get contraflows set up more quickly in the event of a blockage. These measures would be in keeping with the emphasis placed on resilience and congestion in the latest National Transport Plan.

He said: “Transport is at the heart of what we do for economic development. Economic development – jobs and growth - is the Welsh Government’s top priority. Transport is not the sort of bolt-on Cinderella service which it was ten or 12 years ago.”