End of road for landmark flyover

Demolishing the town centre flyover is expected to take five weeks

Work has begun to demolish a Wrexham flyover which has been a landmark in the town for more than 30 years.

The Salop Road flyover, dubbed the "old Asda flyover," opened in 1976, but is being replaced in a £95m redevelopment.

Over five weeks, engineers will break in half the concrete beams holding up the 150m-long (164 yard) road.

Wrexham Council's Strategic Director, Paul Roberts, said: "It's the march of progress, it's not a thing of beauty. It's making way for something better."

He added: "I don't want to say I'm sorry to see it go, because I'm not."

The flyover was originally designed to link the Beast Market to Salop Road.

It will be replaced with a new link road to the town centre, adding an access route to the new Eagles Meadow shopping centre, due for completion in autumn 2008.

The retail development plan includes a Debenhams department store, more than 30 shops, a cinema, restaurants and bowling alley as well as 1,000 parking spaces.