Delays as repair work to continue until August 2026

Repairs to one of the two bridges linking the north Wales mainland to Anglesey will not be complete until August 2026.

Maintenance works on the Menai Bridge began in 2023 and were previously delayed from August to December 2025, due to the discovery of defective hangers, which required “urgent replacement”.

Despite previous hopes for the bridge work to be completed for the bridge’s 200th anniversary on 30 January 2026, procurement and licensing issues will see repairs continue into spring.

In a statement, the Welsh government described the news as extremely disappointing, but said the bridge requires significant maintenance to ensure it “continues safely for the next 200 years”.

Serious safety concerns were identified during a technical analysis leading to the closure of the bridge for four months in 2022.

Repair work began in September 2023 and has caused delays for people trying to get between the island and the mainland.

The first phase of works was completed in October 2024, which enabled the bridge to re-open to all traffic over the winter period.

But phase 2 maintenance works, including full repainting and preservation, are now “not likely” to be completed until Spring 2026, with hopes the reopening will coincide the birthday of the bridge’s designer, Thomas Telford, in August.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru Leader and Member of the Senedd for Ynys Môn, said he would be raising the matter on the Senedd at “the earliest possible opportunity”.

In a statement, he described the announcement as “further proof that the Labour Welsh government is not serious about making sure our island infrastructure is fit for the 21st Century”.

Transport Secretary Ken Skates said: “My officials will be monitoring the work closely, through frequent site visits and regular meetings with the site team, and if there is any scope for the work to be finished earlier, then it will be done.

“We were given assurances at the time that the phase two works would be completed by December 2025, and I know this news will be very disappointing for the community and others.

“The age of the bridge and the fact it’s a critical asset to the area means that it is imperative that works are completed to the highest of standards to ensure it continues to operate for the next 200 years.”