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The A55 was built "on the cheap" and has "not been up to the job" the First Minister has admitted.

These comments came during a "Carwyn Connects" public Q&A session at Holyhead Leisure Centre on Thursday night. But although a number of topics were discussed during the 90 minute session, it was transportation that rankled with many of the around 50 in attendance.

One Anglesey resident said: "Everyone is "fed up of nothing but cones on the A55 . When is it going to be sorted?"

Business owner Martin Williams was concerned that the ongoing hold-ups near the Penmaenbach Tunnel were having a negative impact on the region's economic productivity and deterring visitors from venturing further west than Llandudno.

In response, the First Minister admitted that the A55 was built "on the cheap in the 1980's" and is not "up to scratch."

"If the road was being built now," he added, "three lanes in each direction would be necessary."

However, Carwyn Jones was also adamant that the works were a necessary evil and that motorists would see improvement after the works were completed.

He also added that at least some of the restrictions can be removed as the work nears completion.

Responding to another point from the audience on the state of the NHS in Wales, Mr Jones conceded that it may be decided in future that one health board for the whole of north Wales, "may not be necessarily the right option going forward."

Among more localised issues brought up was the proposed Wylfa Newydd nuclear plant, which Mr Jones said he wholeheartedly backed and was delighted to visit local youngsters earlier in the day who are already receiving the necessary training at Coleg Menai.

However, an associated hot topic has been the National Grid's plans to install a new network of overhead pylons across Anglesey .

Mr Jones said he sympathised with activists who are urging the grid to explore undersea cables instead, and despite the issue not being devolved to Cardiff Bay, he believed that the right option "should be a sympathetic choice rather than the cheapest one on the table".

But referring to the Welsh Government's plans to merge Anglesey with Gwynedd and possibly Conwy councils, Mr Jones expressed his belief that the current local government map "isn't working" despite Anglesey voting against any merger last year.

However, he added that more powers could fall to town and community councils once the new welsh local government map had been drawn in full.

He also criticised plans announced on Wednesday by the HMRC to close the north Wales tax offices in Wrexham and Porthmadog as "daft" and that plans that would see workers forced to move to the Welsh capital were "most unwelcome."

Moving back to transport, Mr Jones was also adamant that electrifying the North Wales mainline should be a priority while also expressing his "deep held belief" that Wales benefited from being a member of the EU and that many companies, including Airbus, would feel forced to leave Wales were the referendum falling in favour of leaving the Union.