Concern over delays to Menai suspension bridge repairs

Dale Spridgeon – Local democracy reporter

Repairs to the Menai Suspension Bridge won’t now be completed until the end of next year and this will “prolong the impact on residents and businesses,” an Ynys Môn MS says.

Member of the Senedd Rhun ap Iorwerth has expressed “disappointment” over the ongoing repair programme saying it “feels as if we’ve been misled”.

Mr ap Iorwerth claimed an initial end date of August, 2025 has been moved to December, 2025 – according to the Welsh Government website.

Safety 

The website stated: “We expect all the required works will be completed by the end of December 2025 (subject to weather ). This will ensure the Menai Suspension Bridge is ready for its 200th anniversary in 2026.”

The Welsh Government insisted that the length of the works programme had not been altered.

Serious safety concerns were identified on the bridge during a technical analysis, causing its closure for four months back in October, 2022.

The programme of work started in September, 2023, and has meant delays and traffic headaches for islanders and visitors trying to get back and forth to the mainland.

Traffic measures

The programme had been scheduled to last two years, but recent developments mean the project could now take at least 27 months to complete.

Mr ap Iorwerth also claimed that when the works programme does resume in March, traffic management will be on the bridge at all times, including weekends.

Up until now, the traffic measures have only been in place during weekdays.

Mr ap Iorwerth said: “I’m disappointed to learn that the programme of works to repair the Menai Suspension Bridge has now been extended until the end of 2025, four months later than planned. While the work being undertaken to ensure the bridge is safe and resilient is important, it’s clearly impacting local residents and businesses, and now disruption will be prolonged beyond what they were initially told.

“Just a few weeks ago, we welcomed the news that repair work would be paused over the winter months. The clear implication was that the project was ahead of schedule. Finding out that this is not the case and that the project will now take until December 2025 to complete feels as if we’ve been misled.

“But we’re also told that traffic management will be more restrictive than originally planned during the latter stages of the work, with lights in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This will add significantly to the disruption for local people.

“It’s vital that the Welsh Government now move quickly on proposals to make the Britannia Bridge as resilient as possible, especially over next year’s summer months. I will continue to hold both them and the contractors to account and ensure this work is completed safely, but in as short a time as possible.”

Festive period

UK Highways A55 Ltd had successfully completed their Phase 1 works which included replacement of 168 hangers, and which saw the bridge reopening on November 2.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The length of the programme of works has not altered.

“We’ve listened to stakeholders and the local communities and are pausing the start of phase two to allow the full reopening of the bridge over the winter, including the Christmas period, to help local businesses.”