Tory MS renews calls for third Menai crossing
Emily Price
A Welsh Conservative MS has made fresh calls for a third Menai crossing following the announcement that the suspension bridge will reopen for the winter.
The Menai Bridge is one of only two routes linking Anglesey with mainland Wales.
The grade 1 listed structure is currently undergoing a major programme of repairs which have so far seen all 168 hangers replaced.
The start of phase two works, which includes repainting the bridge, will be paused for four months to allow for a full reopening of the crossing.
Each day 42,000 vehicles use the two existing bridges but the roads suffer from congestion and regular closures for maintenance and in high winds.
Plans
A Strategic Outline Business case by the Welsh Government backed the need for a third crossing in 2016.
But plans for the project were cancelled in 2023 when the Welsh Government scrapped 55 of its road building schemes on climate grounds.
In march this year, transport Secretary Ken Skates told the BBC that the halted scheme could be “looked at again”.
Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders says Anglesey needs a third crossing in order to address the challenges faced by the island’s economy.
Disruption
She said: “Following two years of disruption, and with more to come, the three-month reopening is a welcome break for long-suffering residents and businesses.
“I thank all who are involved with the project. However, even when it is completed it will remain the case that a bridge, originally built for horse-drawn carriages, is under major pressure as one of only two routes to and from Ynys Môn.
“As the strategic business case for a third crossing concluded, the impact of not investing in the scheme has been clearly set out, with detrimental effects on the economy of the island and north west Wales, poor international connectivity, and worsening performance of the trunk road network in terms of journey times, reliability and resilience.
“All of which will constrain the opportunity for future growth in Ynys Môn, surrounding areas, and in particular impact on the ability of the nuclear power programme to achieve its full potential.”
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Desperately needed. Do it.
To encourage more Tory voters to move there?
Has the ousted Tory MPs like Jake Berry and Virginia Crosbie sold their holiday homes at Rhoscolyn yet?
Just imagine what we could do if our money wasn’t siphoned of for England only infrastructure projects …
Freight traffic at Holyhead is down about 25% as a result of Brexit, so if congestion is getting worse it must be down to commuting. Could a bus lane be added to the rail deck, there seems to be room having visited the lions. Something needs to be done with junction 8 and 8A and the slip roads onto the bridge, combine them as one slip road and merge the A55 to one lane before the slip roads. Should tunnels be considered, if the Faroe Islands can afford multiple undersea tunnels then surely the UK Gov could fund it to… Read more »
Amazing how just as the bicentenary of Telford’s graceful bridge approaches, people suddenly care about its welfare. Much could be done to mitigate the poor peak period filtering arrangements on Britannia Bridge before the banks of the Straits are lost under piles of modern concrete. Any new feasibility though must include the upgrading of the road to Beaumaris which really was built for horse-drawn carriages and is completely unfit for purpose. How about a beautiful modernist sweep from Llanfairfechan to Beaumaris, Scandi-style, on up to join the 55 beyond PG, alleviating both historic bridges and protecting the many AONBs, MPAs… Read more »
It’s a freight issue. Have always thought that there should be an intermodal transfer yard for freight in Northwest England. Loading to container shuttle trains along a more efficient and electrified North Wales main line. This would not only benefit the whole of north Wales, make better use of the rail deck of Britannia Bridge, remove the need for a third crossing, make container crane and deck-tug loading at Holyhead more efficient. This is already in place in Dublin. Why spend hundreds of millions on a new Menai road crossing that in future, will be obsolete?