Menai Suspension Bridge closes for bolts to be replaced

The Menai Suspension bridge links the north Wales mainland to Anglesey

A suspension bridge connecting Anglesey to the Welsh mainland has closed unexpectedly after engineers said bolts on beams under the bridge needed replacing.

The bridge closed at 14:00 BST on Saturday on orders of the Welsh government, with Transport Secretary Ken Skates apologising for the disruption.

"Despite all our frustrations we must listen to the advice from engineers to ensure the safety of everyone," he said.

Serious safety concerns over the Menai Suspension Bridge were first identified in 2022, leading to the sudden closure of the bridge for four months.

Work began in September 2023 and has caused delays for people trying to get between the island and the mainland.

The first phase was completed in October 2024, which enabled the bridge to re-open to all traffic.

While phase two maintenance works, including full repainting and preservation, was not due to finish until spring 2026, the bridge had remained open while this took place.

The bridge, which is more than 200 years old, will now remain shut until further investigations have been completed in the coming days.

Tomos Mather says the closure will be tough on local businesses

Vehicles will be diverted to the nearby Britannia Bridge which also links Anglesey to the north Wales mainland.

"This is incredibly frustrating news," MS for Ynys Môn, Rhun ap Iorwerth said.

"Whilst safety must be the top priority, it's unacceptable that the bridge has been closed again with little to no warning - just as it was nearly three years ago.

"People on Ynys Môn have been waiting years for this work to be completed, and their patience is running out."

Transport Secretary Ken Skates said: "I am incredibly frustrated at this latest development", adding he was pressing for "an early resolution to this issue".

Tomos Mather who lives locally said the closure would be hard on businesses in Menai Bridge.

"Work has been going on for three years. If it was so severe they had to close it so quickly you'd have thought they'd have found that over the past three years," he said.

Huw Roberts who also lives locally, said he had hoped by now "they would have done a better job", adding "it just seems like a long time".

"The main problem is getting to and from Bangor - we now have to do a four mile detour over the Britannia Bridge," he said.

"That bridge, when the ships come into Holyhead... the traffic is horrible.

"It will take half an hour, three quarters to get to Bangor instead of ten minutes."