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Anglesey: Menai Bridge closure a nightmare, haulier warns

BBC Menai Bridge with pedestrians walking across and closure signageBBC
Menai Bridge could remain closed to vehicles for 16 weeks

The closure of one of two bridges linking Anglesey and the mainland has been described as a "nightmare" for businesses.

Menai Bridge closed suddenly on Friday after engineers identified safety risks which could take 16 weeks to fix.

Haulage firm boss Steph Rielly said the implications could be costly due to anticipated hold-ups.

The Welsh government said available options to reopen the bridge as soon as possible were being actively assessed.

Ms Rielly said a driver was stuck in traffic for an hour on Friday due to congestion caused by the bridge closure.

"This will have a major cost which businesses will have to absorb in lost time," she told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"We still have to pay the drivers for the same amount of time because they're still working the same amount of time, however, they're not generating the income due to being stuck in traffic."

The 200-year-old Menai Bridge closed on Friday at 14:00 BST following Welsh government orders.

Traffic on the A55 approaching Britannia Bridge on Friday evening
Traffic on the A55 approaching Britannia Bridge on Friday evening
Cars on Penrhos Road Bangor
Cars at a standstill on Penrhos Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, on Friday
Vehicles queuing to cross from Gwynedd to Anglesey
On Saturday vehicles were queuing to cross from Gwynedd to Anglesey

Ms Rielly, of T and V Haulage, which runs a fleet of lorries from Felinheli, Gwynedd, said Menai Bridge had "always been a busy bridge" while the Britannia Bridge was liable to closures to high-sided vehicles due to strong winds.

She also raised concerns about a lack of nearby stopover places for national and international HGV drivers required to rest, and the possibility it could add to congestion with traffic to and from Ireland via the Port of Holyhead.

"It's been discussed for decades the need for an actual third bridge due to increased traffic to and from the island as almost all produce comes from road haulage across these bridges," she said.

"This is affecting ambulances, fire service, police vehicles from crossing the Menai Straits.

"It's going to be a nightmare for everyone but especially for the haulage industry."

T&V Haulage Three HGV vehiclesT&V Haulage
"It's going to be a nightmare for everyone but especially for the haulage industry," says Steph Rielly, of T and V Haulage

In a social media post that has since been deleted, Conservative MP for Ynys Môn Virginia Crosbie said she was "appalled" by the sudden closure as the bridge was "critical" for families, workers and students who used it daily.

She said party colleagues in the Senedd were calling on the Welsh government to urgently explain why problems were not anticipated given the bridge's age.

"This is unacceptable," she said.

"In June 2021 the Welsh government froze all new road-building projects to conduct a review.

"The delay in this review and lack of investment in our infrastructure is having a devastating impact on Anglesey."

UK Highways A55 said maintenance of the bridge had identified further testing would need to be carried out, alongside the replacement of some of the bridge's hangers.

The Welsh government said "serious risks" had been identified and the findings were currently being reviewed, which could take up to two weeks.

"This urgent work is being carried out for public safety, unfortunately it is unavoidable, but we are fully aware of the implication this will have for people in the local area," said Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change.

UK Highways A55 said: "While this issue will cause disruption, we must act in the interest of public safety.

"We are currently peer reviewing the findings that led to the recommendation of closure and assessing all available options to reopen the bridge as soon as possible."