Independent businesses of Menai Bridge have spoken of the challenges they have faced, with some businesses deciding to close shop for good following the sudden closure of Menai Suspension Bridge. It comes after the Welsh Government announced that a programme of emergency repairs to resolve safety issues on the historic bridge had begun.
The work is scheduled to complete within four weeks, depending on weather conditions. In October, the bridge which links Ynys Mon to the mainland was unexpectedly closed and urgent safety repairs to its iron hangers began. All traffic was diverted to the neighbouring Britannia Bridge, leaving only pedestrians and cyclists to use the closed bridge.
By the end of November, the Welsh Government announced a support package aimed at easing transport woes for people travelling to and from Anglesey. Some Menai Bridge business owners have also called for "urgent support" following the closure's impact on their trade.
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Last month, it was confirmed that a third crossing over the Menai Strait was on the Welsh Government's project pipeline, with work potentially set to start in 2027. A new bridge between Anglesey and Gwynedd has been on the agenda for years, but came to focus with the recent temporary closure of the historic bridge.
The Welsh Government and UK Highways A55 Ltd, along with engineering firms Spencer Group and COWI, have worked together to co-develop the repair scheme. The repair programme will begin with the installation of the emergency works to the west side of the bridge before completing the works on the eastern side.
A bespoke design and procurement strategy had to be developed quickly as the structural issues on the almost 200-year-old structure had posed a risk to public safety. While the emergency programme was being developed, additional maintenance works, including the resurfacing of the road, were brought forward to minimise future disruption for residents and businesses nearby.
However, economical damage may have already been done for certain businesses in the Porthaethwy area. The business owner of a popular restaurant on the town's high street - Tom's Hamburger House, announced that they were shutting their doors for good at the end of December.
The business had been serving customers for almost a decade. But in a social media post on Facebook, the restaurant owner, Joe Hughes, announced that Covid, the rising cost of living and the bridge's closure had affected the business.
In the post, he wrote: "Dear all. I have some bad news to end the year with. It’s with regret that I’ve had to close Toms Hamburger House.
"Times have been tough lately for many of us. First we had Covid, followed by rising energy prices, and then, for us in Menai Bridge, the temporary closure of our bridge that has served our community for nearly 200 years. Thank you to all of my customers and to those who supported me with good reviews. You will be missed.
"Toms Hamburgers may be back in years to come, who knows? But for now I have to say goodbye. Big thanks to Mike and Debbie and I wish them all the success for the future. All the best, I hope everyone has a fabulous 2023 and beyond."
Meanwhile, other businesses are also apprehensive. Chris O'Neill of Menai Laundry has been on Bridge Street, near Porthaethwy's High Street, for two years. Before the bridge's sudden closure, Chris said that the business would usually work on an 18-hour operation, but these days on average the business will only work for six. During the Christmas period, Chris decided to close the shop on certain days.
The business owner admits it has been a frustrated period for him. "It's nearly put us at bursting point," he told Wales Online. "Although we mainly cover Menai Bridge, we get a lot of work from Bangor, Bethesda and other surrounding areas. With the bridge closure, it has just hammered.
"Customers themselves that usually come in, just can't come in. They like a service wash, I'm not aware of anywhere locally that offers service wash, so they haven't been bringing stuff to us. It's affected us and all the other businesses on this road massively. You can tell by the fact that in the day time, usually you wouldn't be able to park here normally, but now it's all clear. Soon as they closed the bridge, you noticed it.
"We are only a small business with four employees - it's risking people's livelihoods and jobs. We've just been through Covid, which was hard enough, we've come at the back end of Covid although still not clear, and now we're facing this. You're asking yourself, what's next?"
A bit further down the road on High Street, one of the owners of Quayside Furniture also voiced their concern. They said that the bespoke furniture and homeware business's turnover was down by up to 60%, which in their words was "not sustainable".
"It's affected our retail trade drastically," they said. "The day it closed, there was no traffic and no people, and that's how it was all the way through October and November.
"I was very saddened. All of these shops have worked hard to drag ourselves out of lockdown. We've all managed to make it and then for them to suddenly close the bridge, to turn the tap off on us, is disastrous. If it wasn't for the local support, none of us would have survived."
On the talks of a third crossing, they added: "It needs it, full stop. The evidence is there, how much more evidence do we need? It's so important to the economy of Anglesey and Wales.
"This bridge is 200 years old, it was never meant to carry such a load. It's common sense to have a third bridge and use Menai Suspension Bridge for light crossing. And I don't think it will defer people from coming here, if people want to come to Menai Bridge, Beaumaris, Llanfair - they will come."
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