Motorists have been warned of congestion and potential delays after the unexpected closure of the Menai Suspension Bridge connecting Anglesey to the Welsh mainland over the weekend.
Commuters are currently being diverted to the nearby Britannia Bridge after the suspension bridge had to be closed when engineers found some of the 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 “frustrations” caused to bridge users.
On average, 13,300 vehicles use the Menai bridge every day, travelling in both directions, between the island and the north Wales mainland.
Skates said the government had to listen to advice from the engineers working on the bridge “to ensure the safety of everyone”.
The bridge, which is more than 200 years old, is to remain shut while further investigations are completed in the coming days, with Skates pressing for “an early resolution to this issue”.
It comes after the suspension bridge was closed for four months in 2022 amid serious safety concerns.
That work began in September 2023, causing widespread delays. The first phase was completed in October 2024, and the bridge was then re-opened to all traffic.
Phase two, including full repainting and preservation, had not been due to finish until spring 2026, but the bridge has remained open while this took place.
MS for Ynys Môn, Rhun ap Iorwerth, described the bridge closure as “incredibly frustrating news”.
He acknowledged safety had to remain “the top priority” but added it was “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.”
Huw Roberts, who lives locally, said the closure necessitated a four-mile detour over Britannia Bridge to get to and from Bangor, adding traffic was “horrible” when ships came into Holyhead and could add an additional half an hour to the journey.
