New bridge not on list of commission’s 10 ideas to improve Menai crossing
THE North Wales Transport Commission has published its interim report into the problems, opportunities and challenges for the region’s transport network.
Lord Terry Burns, former Permanent Secretary of the UK Treasury, was given the task of leading the year-long review and to develop recommendations for road, rail, bus and active travel across the whole of north Wales.
After a backlash against the decision to halt proposals for a third Menai crossing after a recommendation from the Roads Review Panel, the commission’s remit was extended to identify options for improving connectivity across the Menai Strait between Anglesey (Ynys Mon) and Gwynedd.
They have now delivered their interim report – including a subsection on the crossings over the Menai. This includes 10 options to be considered further.
The list includes three lanes on the A55 over the Britannia Bridge, wind deflectors on the same stretch, better public services between Ynys Mon and Gwynedd and a reconfiguration of junctions adjacent to Britannia bridge.
The report states: “At this stage, and in keeping with our approach to make the infrastructure that is already available work better, it is the view of the Commission that the current bridges can be made more resilient, and we are looking at options that can achieve this.
“We will also examine additional work which is being carried out in partnership with Cyngor Sir Ynys Mon, Cyngor Gwynedd and Transport for Wales to improve connections to and from Ynys Mon.”
The vulnerability of the crossing was brought home in recent months with the closure of the Menai Suspension Bridge over safety fears. This has increased the pressure for a third bridge – which could cost around £400m.
In response to the report, Ynyn Mon MS Rhun ap Iorwerth said:
“Whilst I welcome the number of immediate steps proposed by the Commission to improve the resilience, safety and active travel provisions of our existing Menai crossings – many of which I too have called for – it is disappointing that there is still no acknowledgment of the more long-term resilience issues we face.
“Our recent experiences have proven just how vulnerable our infrastructure is in terms of the Menai crossings.
“I’m clear that we need a more robust crossing, and that the solution is to dual the Britannia bridge, or to erect a third crossing, and I will keep making that case to Welsh Government.”
He also raised the issue of the crossing in the Senedd this week with Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change.
He said: “Welsh Government must resolve this situation in terms of resilience. I’ve written to the minister, recommending, as an initial step – although we do need that third crossing – having a zipper system in place on the Britannia bridge to control traffic flow.”
Mr Waters said: “We absolutely are looking at the issues that Rhun ap Iorwerth sets out. As he knows, we’ve asked the Burns commission specifically to look on this.
“We have also commissioned a study into resilience and traffic flow issues on the Britannia bridge, and the potential impact this will have on the carriage layout.
“We specifically looked, as he has suggested, at the examples of the Golden Gate zipper bridge, and the Tamar crossing.
“And in fact, we’ve been in touch with the company, Tamar Crossings, and National Highways, who operate the tidal flow of traffic on the Tamar bridge and the Saltash tunnel in Plymouth.
“And traffic and operational information that we’ve gathered has been passed on to the north Wales transport commission for them to consider. So, I agree with him: I think the zipper situation looks interesting and, potentially, very useful in the context of Ynys Mon, and that work is ongoing.”