The Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Transport, Mark Hooper, has held an urgent meeting with key organisations to address immediate issues surrounding the Menai Suspension Bridge, following ongoing disruption, compliance concerns and recent incidents affecting the crossing.
The emergency meeting brought together representatives from UK Highways A55 DBFO Ltd, local authorities, trunk road agents and North Wales Police to discuss the current situation, including traffic management, public safety, communication and the progress of ongoing works.
The Deputy Minister said the Welsh Government was taking urgent action to address both the immediate challenges and the longer-term future of the bridge.
Mark Hooper said:
“People on Ynys Môn and across the north of Wales have been let down for far too long on the Menai Bridge. This government is acting with urgency to put solutions in place. We are accelerating work to deliver a long-term solution and I will be updating on this work in the autumn.
But action is needed right now on a number of issues and yesterday I held an emergency meeting to tackle some of those issues.
I met with UK Highways A55 DBFO Ltd, the local authorities, trunk road agents, and North Wales Police to discuss recent events, compliance issues, programme and community concerns around the Menai Suspension Bridge.
The safety and welfare of everyone is our utmost priority. The recent behaviour directed at those working on site is completely unacceptable. No one should be harassed or abused whilst doing their job. I want to reassure everyone that we are exploring all possible options to minimise future unplanned closures on the bridge, including continuing discussions on camera technology and compliance measures and further engagement with partners on enforcement activity.
We recognise the real and significant disruption being experienced by communities and businesses on both sides of the bridge. During the meeting concerns were raised about the level of public understanding around traffic management arrangements and the effectiveness of communication, on the whole, including signage and diversion messaging, as well as impacts on journey times for local people.
There was clear agreement that all communications must improve, and I am committed to ensuring regular updates on the progress of the works being made and the challenges that remain are provided to the local community.
I will remain in close contact with the senior management team at UK Highways A55 DBFO Ltd and partners to make sure agreed actions from the meeting are taken forward at pace, delivery of the works stays on track, and any emerging issues are identified and addressed quickly.”
The meeting comes amid continued disruption for motorists, residents and businesses on both sides of the Menai Strait, with concerns over traffic management, delays and communication during the ongoing bridge works. The Welsh Government says it is working with partners to improve information for the public while progressing measures aimed at reducing the risk of future unplanned closures.
