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Anglesey Menai Bridge partly reopens after repairs

BBC Menai BridgeBBC
The bridge has now reopened after it was closed suddenly in October after tests showed problems with its hangers

Businesses have welcomed the partial reopening of a historical suspension bridge which connects Anglesey to the north Wales mainland.

The 200-year-old Menai Bridge is now open to restricted loads after it was closed suddenly in October over "serious" safety risks.

Companies feared traffic problems with vehicles diverted to the nearby Britannia Bridge.

Work to allow it back to full weight capacity will begin in late summer.

Tony Green, who owns Red Boat Gelato in Menai Bridge, described the partial reopening as a "relief".

"I think we should make a big thing out of it and tell people that Anglesey is now back open for business and we're looking forward to welcoming our visitors back," he said.

Mr Green said he had lost about 10% of his turnover in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

He told BBC Radio Wales' Breakfast that the commute had been "dreadful" and that there could be grave implications if this were to happen again.

"Logistics firms may say it's not worth being stuck in traffic for hours on end - it's almost a day spent for them to get on and off the island."

Tom Morgan
Tom Morgan of the Green Olive restaurant says it has been like a "ghost town" without the bridge

Life without Menai Bridge has also "significantly reduced footfall" for Tom Morgan.

The Green Olive restaurant business owner said: "It's been pretty tough... the town has seemed like a ghost town to be honest. It's been hard for business.

"Hopefully people will come flocking back again as they used to."

For Wendy Goodwin, who works in Pips Pet Supplies, the bridge's closure was "terrible".

"Customers [were] not really coming round… they were afraid of being stuck in traffic on the Britannia Bridge so footfall into our shop has been horrendous."

Last week the Welsh government confirmed work was under way to partially reopen the bridge.

After being shut for about four months it is now operational to vehicles bearing no more than 7.5 tonnes (7,500kg).

Further work is now planned, which the Welsh government hopes will bring minimal disruption, to bring the bridge back to full capacity.

The recommendation to close the bridge to all traffic was made in October by structural engineers.

The sudden closure of the bridge, which was completed in 1826 and designed by Thomas Telford, came after tests discovered problems with the bridge's hangers.

In a statement, Deputy Minister for Climate and Transport Lee Waters thanked the local community for their patience while "this extremely important and complex piece of remedial work" was being completed.