Ken Skates MS, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Following the North Wales Transport Commission’s (NWTC) recommendations on improving the resilience of the connections to and from Ynys Môn, good progress has been made with appraisal work being completed on several high priority recommendations. The key updates are:
Wind deflectors on Britannia Bridge
The study concluded that installing wind deflectors would be effective and would substantially reduce traffic restrictions on the bridge. The installation of these deflectors is expected to increase the bridge's operational capacity by mitigating wind-related closures and speed restrictions, thereby reducing reliance on the Menai Suspension Bridge as a diversion route.
Key stakeholders expressed support for the proposals, and I am now committed to advancing further detailed work, including structural surveys and analysis, a heritage impact assessment, and detailed design of the wind deflectors.
Highway Alignment, Traffic and Speed Management
A long list of options was developed based on the key issues identified by stakeholders, aiming to improve highway alignment, traffic flow, and speed management on the Britannia Bridge and its approaches. Analysis of these options indicated that introducing variable speed limits would effectively reduce the number of collisions on the A55 around the bridge. Furthermore, combining an upgrade of the existing bridge traffic management equipment with variable speed limits offers several additional benefits of improved range of messaging for bridge users, reduced risks for traffic officers managing the site, and better value for money through shared implementation costs.
As a result, I have decided to press ahead to develop and implement the bridge traffic management equipment upgrade in conjunction with a variable speed limits system. This integrated approach is expected to further improve the overall management of traffic flows and the efficiency of incident response. Additionally, as a smaller-scale, immediate intervention, new road markings and signs will be implemented between the Junction 9 roundabouts to help improve lane discipline and traffic management in that area.
Three Lane Tidal Flow System
Building upon the work undertaken by the NWTC on a three lane tidal flow system on Britannia Bridge, the study’s findings based on traffic modelling and stakeholder input, suggests that additional tidal flow lane would provide improve journey times, relieve traffic congestion and offer increased resilience by providing additional capacity where it is needed most. The implementation of such a system would require reducing the A55 speed limit to 30 mph, and the three lanes would also be narrower than standard, with the middle lane restricted to light vehicles only.
While key stakeholders acknowledged the potential benefits, they noted that significant further work and risk mitigation measures are necessary to ensure the system's safety and reliability. A physical moveable barrier was considered as a safety measure, but the limited width of the bridge makes this option unfeasible. A detailed study and risk assessment will now be initiated in collaboration with key stakeholders to assess the safety, suitability, and practicality of a three-lane tidal flow system on the Britannia Bridge.
Active Travel Route Across Britannia Bridge
Options for introducing a walking, cycling, and wheeling route across the Britannia Bridge were reviewed and developed. These options, which included a route at rail deck level, cantilevered designs on the road deck, and narrowing the A55 carriageway, have been determined not to be viable for further development. This conclusion was reached due to several factors, including high estimated costs leading to low value for money, a projected low level of public use, and stakeholder feedback. I have therefore decided not to progress these options any further.
Bus Priority Measures
The study examined the potential for bus priority improvements to enhance connectivity and resilience across the Menai Strait by tackling issues like congestion and enhancing the attractiveness of public transport. An initial list of 28 measures was identified, which included bus lanes, bus gates, lane and weight restrictions, and enhanced walking and cycling routes. I have now asked Transport for Wales to continue progressing these bus priority interventions and incorporating them into the wider overarching North Wales Bus Infrastructure Enhancement study.
I am committed to continuing the progression of these resilience enhancement measures as soon as practically possible, acknowledging the requirement for close engagement and coordination with key stakeholders in order to gain the necessary approvals and consents. We’ll be investing over £1m over the next 2-3 years on these proposals.
While we have not ruled out a third crossing in the future, we believe more can be done in the short to medium term to improve the resilience of the Britannia Bridge and connections between Ynys Mon and the mainland.