Dirprwy Lywydd, rydw i eisiau diweddaru Aelodau am yr achosion o gau pont Menai yn ddiweddar, y gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo i ddelio â phroblemau strwythurol a'r rhaglen ehangach i gryfhau gwydnwch y croesfannau rhwng Ynys Môn a'r tir mawr. Byddaf hefyd yn rhoi diweddariad ar y camau i fynd i'r afael â'r heriau ar goridor yr M4 yn y de.
Official English translation
Dirprwy Lywydd, I want to update Members on the recent closures of the Menai suspension bridge, as well as the work under way to address structural issues and the wider programme to strengthen the resilience of crossings between Ynys Môn and the mainland. I will also provide an update on the actions being undertaken to address challenges on the M4 corridor in south Wales.
Members will be aware—. This is a bit easier now. [Laughter.] Members will be aware that the bridge has experienced repeated closures in recent weeks, triggered by drivers ignoring the 7.5 tonne weight limit. It is frustrating for everyone when clear restrictions are not followed. These limits are in place to protect the bridge during ongoing maintenance works, and compliance is essential if the bridge is to remain open safely. When the weight restrictions are breached, precautionary structural inspections are required, and that, in turn, means closure and disruption to those in the area. Ensuring the safety of the structure, the workforce and the public must come first.
The bridge has been subject to a series of structural issues identified through ongoing inspection, including deficits in critical components such as hangers and bolts beneath the deck. This is a 200-year-old structure never designed for modern traffic demands, and it will continue to present challenges. While the hanger replacements and strengthening works have enabled reopening with restrictions, the bridge remains subject to a 7.5 tonne limit and traffic management measures. The current phase of work is focused on stabilising and preserving the structure, including repairs to crossbeams and bolts beneath the deck alongside wider refurbishments, such as repainting, concrete repairs and lighting upgrades. These works are programmed to be completed in spring 2027, and to keep disruption to a minimum. This Government will press forward to resolve this at pace. The contractor, UK Highways A55 Ltd, and their supply chain have used innovative techniques to design access platforms under the bridge, with an aim to avoid daily lane closures and keep the bridge open and free-flowing for the local community. This is dependent on strict adherence to the weight limit restrictions, which are essential to keeping the bridge safely open during this work.
This Government is also working actively with North Wales Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to undertake further enforcement in the area and achieve better compliance with the weight limit. It is unfortunate that these weight limit breaches continue to occur despite the extensive measures that have been considered and implemented. The construction programme, as I said, is expected to continue until spring 2027, reflecting both the complexity and additional defects identified during inspection. My officials will continue to work closely with UK Highways A55 Ltd to ensure that delivery is as efficient as possible.
Llywydd, I recognise the disruption that these closures have caused to communities across Ynys Môn and all those travelling in the north of the country. This has understandably led to deep frustration and increasing anger amongst those affected. This Government will act with greater urgency and focus on short-term measures and long-term solutions to improve resilience across the Menai strait.
That brings me to the wider issue of network resilience, both across the Menai strait and on the M4 in the south of the country. The Menai crossings operate as a system. Britannia bridge carries most traffic, but is vulnerable to high winds, while the Menai suspension bridge has lower capacity and requires ongoing maintenance. When one crossing is restricted, the impact is felt across the region. We are progressing recommendations from the north Wales transport commission, and this includes proposals for wind deflectors on Britannia bridge to reduce weather-related disruption, alongside broader work to improve how the two crossings operate together during periods of pressure. We're also progressing options to improve traffic management on the A55, including signalling upgrades and variable speed limits on Britannia bridge, so that disruption can be managed more effectively and when restrictions are required on either crossing. Looking at the longer term, we will now start looking at detailed options for a third Menai crossing, building on the work already undertaken.
Llywydd, turning to the M4 around Newport, this remains one of the most constrained and heavily used transport corridors in Wales, with long-standing challenges around congestion, resilience and reliability. It is a route of national importance for communities, commuters and freight, and disruption on this part of the network can have consequences far beyond the immediate area. While a range of interventions has been considered over many years, no single solution will fully resolve these pressures. Incremental improvements alone have limited impact, and the corridor continues to operate beyond capacity, particularly at peak times. Communities and businesses have lived with this congestion, uncertainty and delay for too long while previous Governments on both sides of the border have failed to turn this debate into delivery.
This Government has committed to renewing work to identify a clear and evidence-based way forward, making use of the substantial body of analysis already available. This Government will not simply return to old positions or repeat work that has already been done. The answer is not another external review that kicks the can down the road one more time. Therefore, today I am announcing a short, focused programme of work to explore realistic options across road, rail and bus interventions. The emphasis is on measures that are practical, deliverable and capable of making a meaningful difference in the near to medium term. That includes accelerating delivery of public transport alternatives, targeted measures to improve flow and resilience on the existing road network and better integration between strategic and local transport systems.
The work will draw on the substantial evidence base already available and focus on identifying practical and deliverable alternatives. To be clear, this Government does not believe the black route is a credible option. Instead, we will focus on a balanced package of measures reflecting the scale and nature of demand in the corridor. I will report back to Members on the outcome of this work in Plenary early in the autumn, setting out the Government’s way forward.
To summarise, Llywydd, both the Menai crossings and the M4 illustrate the wider challenge of managing ageing infrastructure in the face of increasing demand. In the north of the country, we are progressing both immediate measures and longer term options to strengthen resilience across the Menai strait, including considering detailed options for a third crossing. In the south of the country, we are undertaking targeted work to identify a clear and deliverable strategy for the M4 corridor. Whilst these works can be disruptive, they are necessary to ensure safety and to support the longer term reliability of our transport network.
Thank you, James, for the question. We've focused on these two parts because they're the two areas that we've named as being key structural problems that the people of Wales are seeing as a real problem today. So, I think what people are asking for is for us to be able to solve the problems that people are facing.
The programmes that are already in train are still going to be in train. So, these are things that we're still looking at across the piece. This isn't something where things have changed. But I've been focused on these two items because they're important for the people of Wales.
Thank you, Vikki, and I look forward to working with you. One of the things I'm quite keen to do is to make sure that we all work from an evidence base across this Siambr, because one thing I've learned quite quickly in this brief is that, when you start to want to deliver things, they take a long time to do. So, these are things that, basically, we were looking for, across this Siambr, people looking to support measures that we're taking ahead.
I'm really pleased that you identified the importance of transport across portfolios. I think one of the things that I'm excited to do is to support Members from across the Government in their roles as well, to make sure we support them. Whether it's on the economy, health or whatever, I think it's a societal basis for what we do more than anything else, so it's hugely critical.
You asked a question about whether or not the works would be finished on Britannia bridge before spring 2027. I think what's happened is that there have been other things that have been found, as I referenced in my statement, and those are the things that—. We're going to try and keep to spring 2027 as the delivery date; that looks the most likely date. I think one of the things we've got to be careful about is suggesting dates that don't happen. Spring 2027 is looking like the date that we can achieve on this now, providing other things don't come and stand out even more.
The roads review, and also linking into junctions. So, these are things that we're going to get into as part of this review. When we report back to Members in the autumn, we'll go into detail about this, about how these things will change. Because I think you're right; one of the things that I think you referenced is that, to deliver the changes on the M4, it will have an impact to the side, and it'll have an impact in Newport. So, we've got to think about all of these things in the round, and one of the things that's critical is that we communicate with people as to how these things will affect them. I think that's probably the most important thing. Early communication will be essential, not just for people in this Siambr, but also people beyond, so that they understand how their lives will be impacted.
One of the things I think we've also got to reference is that the M4 is an ageing structure as a general entity, so it will require lots of work over the coming years. So, we're expecting some disruption now even without this work, so we've got to make sure that we communicate that clearly to people, because the longer-term benefits will be clear.
Better integration. Absolutely, I think this is one of the key things. Ultimately—hopefully, you got this from my statement—there is no easy answer to this. This is multifaceted. So, better integration is key. I think there's a lot to build on from the work that's been done before, because this is tricky stuff, but it needs to be integrated, and, actually, it's about how do we find ways of making sure—. Because the journeys that are taken on this part of the M4 are, basically, between Swansea and Bristol and in between that, how do we help people to make better use of those journeys as well over time?
Costs, the final thing. We'll reference this in the autumn. I think some of the things that we want to try and do are to make sure what our clarity over the way forward is going to be, which is critical when you're looking at things like Menai, with the infrastructure that's been developed on Ynys Môn with regard to the nuclear small modular reactor facilities. So, some of those may be opportunities for us to look at, but the cost of these things is going to be a secondary piece of work that we do as part of this work that we'll come back to Members with in the autumn. Thank you.
I sometimes wonder what I just walked into there, and whose responsibility. So, there's a lot in what you said, Janet, that I think is really important. One of the things that's important is that we're talking about how we make sure that our transport system works for the whole of Wales. I think that's something that's central to how I want to tackle this job and the things that are really important to me. There are things that will be different in the way we approach it, but one of the things that I'm keen for us to do in the relationship that we have, broadly, across this Siambr, is that we work with data. You've heard that quite a lot from this Government. It's been repeated, and it's been repeated for a reason, insofar as we're on the same page to know how the impact of these things can happen, because we're working in a constrained budget. So, we need to do things that are most appropriate to make the things work.
There's a number of items—. I've been focused on the resilience of two areas in this statement. There's a number of items that I think I look forward to you talking to me about at questions. I'll deal with those ones separately, if that's okay. So, on the rail network, on active travel and the scrapping of—. There's a number of things there that are related, which I'll take separately.
One thing that I think is important is that we, like I say, as a Siambr, understand the complexity of what we're dealing with, and just trying to get some compromise as to how we move this thing forward, because the people outside here want progress, and that's what I'm here to do. So this is about making sure that we take action on things. But we all recognise that, in the four years, some of these things won't get delivered in the four years, because some of these things are complicated. [Interruption.] Some of these things are—. Thank you, Janet. Some of these things are complicated. So, what they need is a commitment that we can move forward on, and that's what I'm committed to do. Thank you.
Thank you, Jason, and I think there's some stuff there that we could actually work together on, because I think you've talked about the need that we need to be working together for the benefit of the entirety of the people of Wales. You asked for a lot of detail, and what I've committed to do is to come back to Members in the autumn. We've effectively added it to the 100-day plan, so you will have that detail and you'll have it in readiness. And then I expect the scrutiny to be demanding, and I look forward to it. It's something that I think the people of Wales expect the same level of scrutiny to come to us in that regard as well.
I don't accept that this is a patch-job job, because I think what we're looking at is something that is really going to make a difference to the people of Wales. That's what we're intending to do. I think that some of these things, there are restrictions around the M4. It's clear you've got the Severn one side and you've got mountains and hills the other side that restrict what you do, with a growing population in the middle of it. So, you need to make things work. Ultimately, part of this solution is about making sure that public transport works as well. Public transport will be the key that unlocks productivity here, and it's something that we're committed to. And public transport not just being rail, being bus as well, so, linking into the bus franchising work that's already been done too.
You talk about previous administrations spending money on the M4. One of the reasons that we're keen to be able to move on this at pace is that we believe that a lot of the work is there. There's a lot of evidence already there, so we're going to dig into this, because we've got no interest in wasting time or money on doing things that take an excessive amount of time. So, we want to make sure we get to this quickly and get back to it. But I look forward, as I said to you earlier today when we met, to us sharing data that gives us guidance to how we move forward on all these things. Thank you.
Thank you, Paul. So, I share your view on the black route, which is the reason I referenced it directly in this statement. We need to also recognise where people actually are. So, I believe that we need to move people into public transport, and it needs to be done as soon as we can. I think there's data out there that shows that people aren't moving as quickly as they could or should be. So, we've got a situation where people are angry with what's happening to them when they're stuck in traffic jams, so we need to do something that will help them do that, which is part of the priority.
But ultimately, like I said in the previous answer, we're constrained in this area, so we need to make sure that the solutions are largely public transport related. So, that's going to be the key focus. But when I answered Vikki's question earlier, it's about making sure we recognise that if we do things—. The M4 is not just a through-route beyond Newport; it's also an intra-Newport route as well, so it gets used by other people within Newport. So, we have to recognise that if you make a change within Newport that solves some of these problems, you'll start to have knock-on effects elsewhere. So, this has got to be an activity that recognises the complexity of what we're talking about, and that's why it will be a detailed piece of work. But like I said, the detail I think is largely there for us to dig into.
Diolch, Mair. I think that, on the first thing, in terms of what's happening now to try and make sure that we have fewer issues, only vehicles under 7.5 tonnes, as we know, may use the bridge while restrictions remain in force, and overweight vehicles will be turned away. I think, where appropriate, instances of non-compliance also need to be and will be reported to the police for enforcement. We have increased the presence of both police and traffic officers to support compliance and to help ensure the bridge can open safely. If breaches continue, we must be clear that closing the bridge may be the only safe option available. So, we've really got to make sure we stop the breaches, that's the critical thing.
On the works programme, the works form part of the necessary long-term refurbishment programme to protect this historic bridge, and to ensure that it can continue to operate in the future. So, they're necessary. We believe that we will hit the spring 2027 deadline, which is obviously critical.
When it comes to UK Government, I think this talks back to how we need to collectively understand what our ask is from this Siambr as well, so that we can point to the UK Government and say we want their support and help to do it. This is going to be one of the key issues I bring up when I meet the UK transport Minister, alongside a number of other issues, including in the south of the country as well. We'll be covering that and also rail infrastructure too. But, ultimately, the UK Government has a part to play, Ynys Môn being a strategic part of the route for a number of things, not just the links to Europe. These things have got to be seen, as we can't leave the resilience of this crossing to be with the gods as it is at the moment, which doesn't work for communities nor for the businesses that use it either.
Thank you, Jayne, for that, and I recognise that you've written to me a number of times about it since I've been in post. I think you're the person I've received most letters from with regard to this issue, so I recognise that you find it hugely important to you and your constituents.
To start on the black route and just repeat: the Government does not believe the black route is credible, so that's off the table, and we're taking it off the table today. All other road options except the black route are in scope, so we're looking at things that can solve the problems here. We're looking across the piece and that will be part of the work that we're putting together.
Are there other credible road options? That's part of what we'll come back to, and we'll be back in front of Members in the autumn to talk to. But, as I'm hopefully stressing, this is a multifaceted approach. This is about making sure that everything works together. So, there may well have to be some junction closures, but this will be stuff that we deal with in the round. This road network is not designed for the amount of traffic that it’s taking at the moment. Everyone knows that in this Siambr. The solutions are public transport focused—the ultimate solutions—and that will be where we put a lot of effort. But this is where we're going to come back.
In terms of the question about the previous work that's been done, what I was referencing is that we're going to dig into the work that's been done and that will form part of this announcement that we make in September, when we come back after recess. So, the work that's been done will be a key part of what we talk to Members about then.
Diolch, Jane. This wasn't intended to be a transport strategy message today, so we will be coming back with a fuller transport strategy to be able to update Members in that regard. But just to put your mind at rest, like you, I think we need an integrated strategy that covers the whole of Wales. So, this is something that I'm really keen to make sure that we do properly, and I think that ultimately rail and bus travel are central planks of that solution. We've got to recognise that lots of people still see their car as being really the way that they travel at the moment, so there's still a big piece of work to encourage people to use the buses and use the trains. And the bus franchising that's going to be rolled out is part of making sure that happens, with routes that suit people's needs, and making sure that they actually work for the people. Rail network, the same. We need to make sure that these things work for people in the way that they do, and lots of that's about making an integrated transport policy that works, a cross-modal policy as well.
Diolch, Peredur. The first thing, in terms of the Burns stations, is these are a key part of the solution, I think, in terms of this, so we'll come back in terms of how we expect the UK Government to do more than they've done so far. There's a promise in the ether, but we need these things to be in sight as to how we actually make the stations a reality. Because one of the key things is to make sure we can get people to utilise the trains and see the trains as an effective solution for those journeys that we're needing to get off the M4. They're critical, and the UK Government has a part to play to make sure that these things happen in a timescale that suits the people of Wales. Ultimately, that's what we've got to focus on.
I agree entirely with your point about the Gwent levels, and that's one of the key reasons why the black route is off the table. We think they need to be protected. It's not something that we would countenance doing. When it comes to the solutions, even if it were built now, the timescales associated with it mean that it isn't the key long-term solution. There are other long-term solutions that relate to rail that would be better suited, and better suited to the environment as well. So, that's critical.
You talk about talking to people. I think that's probably the most important thing. I think communication has got to be something that we dig into in a big way in this thing, and that's about taking people with us. That's not just the interested parties in Newport; that's the people of Newport, that's the people of the wider area. This is about an exercise in us having engaged conversations that we listen to as well, rather than it just being a one-way street. I'm really looking forward to those. I want to make sure that I'm personally engaged in those conversations as well, and the same goes for the Menai in that regard too. I think it's important that we're out there engaged with those conversations. Thank you.
Diolch, Huw. I'm not going to commit to it today. I think the point you made is about the system. We're dealing with a transport system here, and when things go wrong in one part of the system, it has a rolling effect elsewhere. I think the way you described what happens in the eastern part of Cardiff is pertinent to all these conversations. I think what you end up doing is if you don't solve the problems and take people out of their cars and into using public transport, or you give them other alternatives, then we're just never going to solve the problem, frankly. So, it's really important we get to grips with the issues at hand.
What you talked about in the eastern side of Cardiff is true in other parts—Newport in particular. We've got to be really mindful about the impact of things we do on communities that we go into. This is a critical part of the thinking, because it's all too easy to see some of the solutions without seeing the communities that they affect. The system problems are the things that we need to be looking at. Thank you.
Thank you for the welcome. I'm really pleased that you're prepared to work together on these things. I think that's an important starting point, and I welcome that support. I've outlined why the black route isn't a credible option for us. I think you described it as 'fast track'; I don’t think there's anybody else who would consider that to be a fast-track option for the solution to this, and neither is it something that has the long-term benefits that will solve the problems over the long term.
Everything else I'm keen to engage with you and your colleagues on, and I think that these are things that will try and solve the problem. But ultimately, what we've got to do is utilise the other roads in the network that we could be utilising more. The Heads of the Valleys road, newly redesigned, is a really good example of something that could be used for more freight, so how do we make sure that that fits into this solution as well? I think there are solutions that are out there that form part of this conversation.
The thing I think we share and we agree on is that, ultimately, a lack of action is not a credible solution, so we have to be action orientated, and we have to help those people who are stuck in queues at the moment to have better alternatives. Those better alternatives may not be more road space for them, it just may be better trains that work, which is part of what came out of the Burns review, so we lean into some of those things and get those things moving quicker as well.