Plans to bolster stonework on blaze-hit bridge

PLANS have been unveiled to bolster some of the stonework on a key bridge which recently marked the 50th anniversary of a devastating fire.

The Britannia Bridge, which is the main road and rail link between Anglesey and the mainland, was reopened to traffic in 1980 after a major fire a decade earlier which saw a major reconfiguration and the installation of a new road deck a level above the earlier rail tracks.

It currently carries most of the 46,000 vehicles that cross the Menai Strait every day and forms a major part of the A55.

But with fractures, first spotted in 1984, being reported on parts of the stone masonry lintels on its three towers, plans have been submitted to install new beams to support the structures, which are as old as the 1850 Grade II-listed bridge itself.

According to the application, which has been submitted to Anglesey Council’s planning department, there’s a risk that the condition of these stone lintels will continue to deteriorate with time, although they are said to currently be in a “stable state” and constantly monitored, with the risk of collapse described as “low”.

As the problem will potentially lead to the “partial or total collapse of the sections of the tower”, owner Network Rail plans to install the beams to catch the stone lintels “should they fall”.

Similar plans were originally approved by council planners in 2015, but with the original permission now nearing its five-year time limit, the applicants have presented slightly amended plans.