Menai Bridge reopening unlikely within weeks - minister

The bridge has reopened to pedestrians, but remains closed to road vehicles

It is "unlikely" that the Menai Bridge linking Anglesey with the north Wales mainland will reopen within weeks, a Welsh government minister has said.

Lee Waters said the Menai Bridge would reopen in "early 2023" if work is required to strengthen the structure.

The 200-year-old bridge shut suddenly last Friday over "serious" safety risks.

An initial review of the findings that led to the bridge's closure could take up to a fortnight.

"It is possible that the checks that will happen in the next two weeks will find that this has been an over-reaction and that we'll be able to open the bridge with a weight restriction much, much sooner," the deputy climate changes minister said.

"My officials advise me they think that's unlikely but it is certainly a possibility."

The Menai Bridge was built in the early 19th Century

"We won't close this any longer than we feel is justified by the balance of risks," he added.

Mr Waters said the decision to close the bridge "was not made lightly" and was based on "clear advice from structural engineers and conversations with the police".

"The risk of a catastrophic event happening to the bridge is still low but it is too high for us to be able to risk it," the minister added.

The bridge has reopened for walkers on footpaths and cyclists who dismount their bikes, with marshals in place to monitor numbers.

Vehicles have been diverted to the other crossing, the nearby Britannia Bridge, which has previously had to close during periods of high winds. Mr Waters said that was a "rare event", which "generally happens for a matter of hours" at a time.

Officials are looking at potentially allowing emergency services vehicles weighing less than 7.5 tonnes across the Menai Bridge if the Britannia Bridge is closed.

Structural weaknesses

Conservative MS Natasha Asghar said: "Closing the bridge at the last minute without prior warning for what could be potentially four months will not only hit residents, visitors and commuters but also hard-working businesses in the area.

"Of course safety is paramount, I'm not going to deny it for a single second, but how on earth are we only now aware of structural weaknesses here today?

"A 200-year-old bridge which is used by nearly 50,000 vehicles every day should be regularly inspected."

Mr Waters said the bridge is "regularly" inspected to "industry standard" at two and six-year intervals.

Plaid Cymru MS for Ynys Mon Rhun ap Iorwerth called on the Welsh government to build a third crossing between Anglesey and the mainland.

In 2017, the Welsh government outlined plans for a third crossing but it is currently on pause as part of a review of all road building projects in Wales.

Mr ap Iorwerth said: "The Welsh government had pledged to deliver a new crossing and it still hasn't happened and there's a price to pay for delays.

"Price in pounds when inflation is so high but also a community price too."

The minister said the cost of building a third crossing had increased to about £400m and would take "somewhere around seven years" to build.