3RD MENAI CROSSING IN DOUBT OVER STALLED WYLFA PLAN
Business case for £130m bridge ‘difficult’
THE plan for a third Menai bridge is now under threat due to the stalling of plans for Wylfa Newydd.
A year ago First Minister Carwyn Jones announced a preferred route for a £130m bridge to the east of the existing Britannia Bridge.
He said construction was due to start in 2021.
But in January Wylfa Newydd backer Hitachi announced it was placing the nuclear scheme on hold after failing to reach a funding deal with the UK Government.
Now Welsh Government Economy minister Ken Skates has admitted the business case justifying a new bridge over the Menai Strait was now “difficult”.
He said it was not being taken off the agenda completely but that the original case was based on the increase in traffic associated with the construction of the £12bn nuclear plant.
Talking about the impact of the stalled Wylfa Newydd scheme, Mr Skates said: “It does not rule out a third crossing but it makes the business case more difficult.
“The business case for a third crossing was being considered based on the additional traffic associated with the construction of Wylfa Newydd.
“A business case has to stack up – we have to account for the money we spend on infrastructure projects.
“That business case is not as strong without Wylfa Newydd.”
As well as strengthening the business case due to increased traffic there was also the potential of power cables being carried on the bridge with National Grid helping fund the major infrastructure scheme.
Wylfa Newydd is still going through the planning process with the UK Government – with a final decision deferred until next year.
Even if it is successful it will only happen if a funding deal is agreed between the UK Government and Hitachi.
Ynys Môn AM Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “After the Wylfa Newydd plan was postponed, I specifically asked Welsh Government to give certainty that the case for third crossing over the Menai was still as strong as ever, and I was given that certainty.
“Yes, Wylfa would have resulted in extra traffic on the existing crossings, and of course that is a factor in the plans for the third crossing, but the truth is that there are serious questions regarding the resilience of the current crossings.
“On too many occasions, the connection between Ynys Mon and the mainland has been cut off, or has been at risk of being cut off, and the emergency services have always argued that these crossing must be stronger, and that is the main reason for a third crossing.
“Although the Wylfa Newydd project has been delayed, I still believe in pushing for extra investment from National Grid towards the cost of a third crossing, as hundreds of millions is currently invested in undergrounding cables through national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty.”
Mr Skates was talking after the launch of a tranche of funding to support the ‘foundational economy’ in North Wales.
This included a project to increase local markets for North Wales shellfish and a pilot using a humanoid robot to tackle loneliness.
The minister said it was vital to support initiatives that would support local economies, especially in areas which feel “left behind”.
He said they would not be as affected by global economic uncertainty.
On shellfish, he said: “If we can get more people eating shellfish from North Wales then that is good for emissions, for our fishing fleet, for sustainability, and for the local economy.”