Work to resolve safety issues on Menai Suspension Bridge gets underway

Work to resolve safety issues and re-open the Menai Suspension Bridge has got underway today.

The programme is scheduled to be completed within four weeks, depending on weather conditions.

The Welsh Government and UK Highways A55 Ltd have been working together, alongside engineering firms Spencer Group and COWI, to push forward with the emergency programme.

The bridge was closed unexpectedly towards the end of October due to concerns about the integrity of its metal hangers which posed a risk to public safety.

The devolved government was accused by opponents of failing to act for over 20 years to fix the problem.

The hanger works will now begin on the west side of the bridge before improvements are made on the eastern side.

While the emergency programme was being developed, additional maintenance work, including the resurfacing of the road, was brought forward to minimise future disruption for residents and businesses.

The government has also put together a package of support to mitigate the impacts to local businesses.

Free parking will remain available at car parks in Menai Bridge town and at two nearby park and share sites throughout January.

To assist with the loss of bus services on the island following the closure of the bridge, Anglesey Council has provided additional stops closer to the bridge.

Deputy Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for Transport, Lee Waters, said: “I am pleased that together with our partners, we have been able to press ahead at pace with this extremely important and complex piece of work on the Menai Suspension Bridge.

“In the meantime, the package of support to ease the transport pressures on people travelling to and from Ynys Mon remains in place and I am grateful to residents in the area for their patience as work on the Menai Suspension Bridge continues.”

A spokesperson from UK Highways A55 Ltd said: “We recognise the disruption and difficult circumstances that the closure of the Menai Suspension Bridge has caused for the local community.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience while an emergency solution was developed to resolve this unprecedented issue.

“We want to thank everyone for their hard work to deliver this solution so quickly, especially the resiliency of the residents of Ynys Mon and North Wales.

“Finding a solution to this very unique problem posed a number of complex engineering challenges.

“We worked extremely closely with UK Highways, the Welsh Government, and the wider project team of engineers to fully understand the issues and constraints, to allow us to develop a solution that is safe and robust for bridge users, and the structure itself, in the fastest possible timescale.”