The First Minister of Wales, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, has pledged that “this new Welsh Government will act with greater urgency and focus” to address ongoing problems with the Menai crossings, following continued disruption and repeated closures of the Menai Suspension Bridge.
In his first session of First Minister’s Questions, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS reaffirmed the new Welsh Government’s commitment to finding both short- and long-term solutions to resilience issues across the Menai Strait.
The comments come amid ongoing disruption at the Menai crossings. The Menai Suspension Bridge was closed for safety reasons once again this morning – the fifth closure within a matter of days. The current programme of works, originally scheduled to be completed in August 2025, is now expected to continue until spring 2027.
In response to a question on the floor of the Senedd, the First Minister confirmed that work was already underway ‘within government with a view to ensuring short-term measures around the Menai crossing, and long-term solutions for resilience across the Menai Strait’ and that ‘People in Ynys Môn have been let down for too long when it comes to the Menai crossings’.
In addition, Mair Rowlands MS, the Member of the Senedd for Bangor Conwy Môn, said that residents’ frustrations were ‘understandable’ and that ‘there was every faith that the Plaid Cymru Government will be much more proactive on this issue, not only to ensure that the current maintenance work is completed as soon as possible, but also that a long-term solution will be found to ensure that there are no obstacles for people to travel between Ynys Môn and the mainland’.
Her comments follow a recent letter sent by local Members of the Senedd for Bangor Conwy Môn, Mair Rowlands MS and Elfed Williams MS, to the Deputy Minister for Transport requesting a meeting to discuss the issue further.
The First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, said:
“People in Ynys Môn have been let down for too long when it comes to the Menai crossings. It’s unacceptable that we have been in this position where deadlines have been missed time and time again, and where work to fix a bridge that could and should’ve been done a long time ago is still dragging on year after year. Where previous governments refused to see this problem as a priority, this new Welsh Government will act with greater urgency and focus.
“I’ve committed to renewing the process of developing solutions to improve the resilience of transport links across the Menai Strait, that’s why we’ve already begun work within government with a view to ensuring short-term measures around the Menai crossing, and long-term solutions for resilience across the Menai Strait. Yes, the third crossing is a part of those considerations, but let me remind you that it’s not a structure that we need, it’s an answer. Let’s get the answer and move there quickly.”
Photo: First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS (Credit: Senedd Cymru)
