diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/utility/ast-utils.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/utility/ast-utils.ts
index f00160fb8119..833979609609 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/utility/ast-utils.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/utility/ast-utils.ts
@@ -649,20 +649,38 @@ export function addRouteDeclarationToModule(
     routesArr = findNodes(routesVar, ts.SyntaxKind.ArrayLiteralExpression, 1)[0] as ts.ArrayLiteralExpression;
   }
 
-  const occurencesCount = routesArr.elements.length;
+  const occurrencesCount = routesArr.elements.length;
   const text = routesArr.getFullText(source);
 
   let route: string = routeLiteral;
-  if (occurencesCount > 0) {
-    const identation = text.match(/\r?\n(\r?)\s*/) || [];
-    route = `,${identation[0] || ' '}${routeLiteral}`;
+  let insertPos = routesArr.elements.pos;
+
+  if (occurrencesCount > 0) {
+    const lastRouteLiteral = [...routesArr.elements].pop() as ts.Expression;
+    const lastRouteIsWildcard = ts.isObjectLiteralExpression(lastRouteLiteral)
+      && lastRouteLiteral
+        .properties
+        .some(n => (
+          ts.isPropertyAssignment(n)
+          && ts.isIdentifier(n.name)
+          && n.name.text === 'path'
+          && ts.isStringLiteral(n.initializer)
+          && n.initializer.text === '**'
+        ));
+
+    const indentation = text.match(/\r?\n(\r?)\s*/) || [];
+    const routeText = `${indentation[0] || ' '}${routeLiteral}`;
+
+    // Add the new route before the wildcard route
+    // otherwise we'll always redirect to the wildcard route
+    if (lastRouteIsWildcard) {
+      insertPos = lastRouteLiteral.pos;
+      route = `${routeText},`;
+    } else {
+      insertPos = lastRouteLiteral.end;
+      route = `,${routeText}`;
+    }
   }
 
-  return insertAfterLastOccurrence(
-    routesArr.elements as unknown as ts.Node[],
-    route,
-    fileToAdd,
-    routesArr.elements.pos,
-    ts.SyntaxKind.ObjectLiteralExpression,
-  );
+  return new InsertChange(fileToAdd, insertPos, route);
 }
diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/utility/ast-utils_spec.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/utility/ast-utils_spec.ts
index 6a03de30e2fe..2ff1db8cb801 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/utility/ast-utils_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/utility/ast-utils_spec.ts
@@ -440,6 +440,40 @@ describe('ast utils', () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it('should add a route before the last wildcard path', () => {
+      const moduleContent = `
+        import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
+        import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
+        import { AppComponent } from './app.component';
+        const routes = [
+          { path: '**', component: FooComponent }
+        ];
+        @NgModule({
+          declarations: [
+            AppComponent
+          ],
+          imports: [
+            BrowserModule,
+            RouterModule.forRoot(routes)
+          ],
+          bootstrap: [AppComponent]
+        })
+        export class AppModule { }
+      `;
+
+      const source = getTsSource(modulePath, moduleContent);
+      const changes = addRouteDeclarationToModule(
+        source,
+        './src/app',
+        `{ path: 'bar', component: BarComponent }`,
+      );
+      const output = applyChanges(modulePath, moduleContent, [changes]);
+
+      expect(output).toMatch(
+        /const routes = \[\r?\n?\s*{ path: 'bar', component: BarComponent },\r?\n?\s*{ path: '\*\*', component: FooComponent }\r?\n?\s*\]/,
+      );
+    });
+
     it('should add a route to the routes to the correct array when having guards', () => {
       const moduleContent = `
         import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';