Bridges of the Menai
There are two crossings connecting Anglesey to the mainland; The Menai Bridge and the Britannia Bridge. Before the construction of the bridges, ferry crossing could prove fatal with the largest tragedy occurring in 1785 where 55 people became stranded on the soundbar resulting in all but one losing their lives. The need for easy travel to the mainland was increasing. Especially given the port of Holyhead providing a connection to Ireland.
The Menai Bridge
Construction began in 1819 and would be some of Thomas Telford's most ambitious plans as the Menai Bridge would become the largest suspension bridge at the time. The bridge had to allow passage of ships underneath and as a consequence it was required to have at least 100 ft of clear space in the center. The bridge opened in 1826 and reduced the travel time from Holyhead to London by 9 hours.
The bridge has since undergone several modifications and repair work. The bridge originally had wooden decking and was replaced in 1893 with steel. Another modification was made to allow modern vehicles to cross by replacing the iron chains with steel.
Most recently, the bridge was closed for several months in late 2022 due to ‘‘unacceptable risk of brittle failure" in the hangar sockets that were part of an upgrade between 1938 and 1941.
Britannia Bridge
Rail travel significantly increased in the 19th century and the need for a rail connection to Holyhead became apparent. It was suggested at the time that the carriages could be uncoupled from the locomotive before being drawn across one at a time by horse before being attached to a separate locomotive. However, this was scrapped and a new bridge was to be built by Robert Stephenson.
A challenge the bridge had to overcome was to be strong enough to carry a train and carriages. The solution was a tubular bridge that would carry the train. The bridge opened in 1850 with two spectacular limestone lions at either end that can still be seen to this day.
In 1970 a fire thought to be accidently caused by teenagers caused severe structural damage to the tubes and resulted in the bridge being reconstructed to carry both cars and trains.
Read more about the fire here:
