Anglesey: Unreliable bridges hurt island economy - report

Plans for a third Menai crossing have been replaced by a review into how to cut congestion

The lack of reliability of the two bridges connecting Anglesey to Wales' mainland is hurting the island's economy, a report has found.

Anglesey council comissioned its own study, hoping to convince Welsh ministers to reverse a decision to park plans for a third bridge.

Council leader Llinos Medi said a new crossing was "critical" to the island's future.

The Welsh government said it wanted to make the two bridges "work better".

Lee Waters, the deputy climate change minister, said in February there was no money for major road building due to environmental concerns and that a third Menai crossing was "not happening any time soon".

That threatens a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse Anglesey's economic decline, the council report found.

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"The Menai crossing is critical to our island's resilience and future economic growth," Ms Medi said.

"There was naturally great disappointment at the outcome of the recent roads review as it failed to acknowledge the island's unique circumstances and problems caused by the existing crossings."

Cars were at a standstill in Bangor after the Menai Bridge closed in October

Congestion on the existing crossings can be caused by accidents, bad weather or maintenance issues, including the five-month closure of the Menai Bridge in October, the report found.

That affects tourism, business development, schools and emergency services, as well as threatening the viability of plans for major tidal energy projects and a freeport at Holyhead.

Robin Williams, the deputy council leader who represents Menai Bridge and Llanfairpwll, said when one of the bridges shuts the result was "absolute gridlock".

About 37% of Anglesey's working population commute to the mainland after the loss of more than 2,500 jobs since 2004, including 700 jobs at the 2 Sisters chicken plant in Llangefni in March.

It makes people on the island "even more dependent on the mainland for jobs", according to the report.

"We need the resilience [of a third crossing] to enable people to travel to a from work," Mr Williams said.

"But also Holyhead is the second busiest port in the UK and of course being given freeport status recently we hope to see the amount of traffic increasing."

But manufacturers looking to set up on the island could be turned away by possible transport delays, he added.

Menai Suspension Bridge will celebrate its 200th birthday in 2026

In response to concerns about more roads leading to increased carbon emissions, Mr Williams said "this is a really exceptional situation that needs to be looked at again".

The Welsh government created the North Wales Transport Commission to look at how to improve connections to the island and its interim report did not included plans for a third crossing.

"While it has yet to make its final recommendations," a government spokesman said," in its interim report it sets out its approach to make the current infrastructure and bridges work better."