A third crossing over the Menai Straits is still on the Welsh Government's project pipeline, with work potentially set to start in 2027. A new bridge that links Ynys Môn to mainland Wales has been on the agenda for years, but has come into focus with the recent temporary closure of Menai Suspension Bridge.
In October, the bridge which was completed in 1826, was unexpectedly closed. Urgent safety repairs to its iron hangers are underway, with work on the bridge set to take between 14 and 16 weeks, with an intended re-opening in early 2023.
By the end of November, the Welsh Government announced a support package aimed at easing transport woes for people travelling to and from Anglesey. Some Menai Bridge business owners had called for "urgent support" following the closure's impact on their trade.
Read more: Welsh Government unveils support package to ease Menai Bridge closure
So far, no firm commitment has been made and a leading engineer has said that the sudden closure of Menai Suspension Bridge should be a "wake-up" call for the Welsh Government. On Tuesday, the government published its latest 'Wales infrastructure investment strategy: December 2022', North Wales Live reports.
The strategy outlines the planned investment projects lined up, including their potential cost and the timescales. The new crossing between Anglesey and Gwynedd is on the list. It says that a new crossing of the Menai Strait would improve safety, journey times and network resilience.
It has been estimated that £400m would be spent on the project with a potential start date in 2027, with the crossing set to take two to three years to complete. It comes after in June of last year, the Climate Change ministry of the Welsh Government announced a pause on schemes that included 55 road projects - such as the third Menai crossing, could be looked at by a roads review panel.
In September the panel submitted its final report with recommendations for the remaining schemes and Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Climate Change had been expected to deliver his decisions on the schemes by the end of November. However, this has been put back due to the tightening of the Welsh Government’s capital budget after the latest Autumn statement by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
No date has been given for its publication as of yet. In the projects pipeline document, Welsh Government said: “These plans will deliver billions of pounds of infrastructure investment over the coming years. All outstanding projects within the National Transport Finance Plan are being reviewed in the context of the Wales Transport Strategy “Llwybr Newydd”.
"Decisions on future infrastructure will be undertaken by using the Sustainable Transport Hierarchy which - investments in sustainable modes. Achieving our decarbonisation targets will be at the heart of decision making for infrastructure developments."
After the closure of the Menai Bridge, Keith Jones, Director Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), said: “This has to be the wake-up call for Welsh Government. We have been talking about a third crossing for a long time and now decisions need to be made. We do not want to be here in 10 years having the same conversation when something else happens, saying in hindsight we should have done something.
"We need to start now because the project will take several years. There are though companies lined up wanting to do this, it could be an iconic project if done right. We need to improve resilience on this crossing and two links are not enough."
He added: "As a nation we must continue investment in infrastructure because clearly there is a lack of resilience in the transport network in North Wales."
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