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Menai Strait £135m third crossing plans outlined

Thinkstock Britannia BridgeThinkstock
The Britannia Bridge carries the A55 and a railway line between the mainland and Anglesey

Plans for a third crossing costing £135m between Anglesey and the Welsh mainland have been outlined.

There are four options, involving new bridges east or west of the current Britannia Bridge and improvements to the A55.

A consultation on the ideas for increasing capacity across the Menai Strait will last until March.

The design and development stage is costing £3m with a preferred route set to be announced in summer 2018.

Economy and Transport Secretary Ken Skates said it would address congestion on the existing Britannia Bridge and make sure the road network is ready for projects such as Wylfa Newydd.

The £10bn nuclear power station will have 8,000 construction workers build it and 850 permanent employees when it starts generating in 2025.

In October, the Welsh Government said the new crossing could be open within four years.

Ian Warburton / Geograph Photo of the first Menai Strait bridge, built in the early 19th CenturyIan Warburton / Geograph
The first Menai Bridge was built in the early 19th Century