A coach travelling from South Wales was stopped by a member of the public as it tried to cross the 200-year-old Menai Suspension Bridge, which is undergoing restoration work. The incident occurred after traffic management was suspended on Monday night (July 27-28) following complaints of "abuse and harassment" directed at workers.
Resident intervention
Menai Bridge postman Mike Eyre, who also runs the town's Post Office with his wife Vicky, was driving behind the coach. He said: "I was driving behind the coach, a couple of cars back, returning from the Royal Mail depot in Bangor. I sounded my car horn, quite aggressively, but the coach continued towards the bridge."
A lady walking across the bridge managed to stop the coach by shouting through the driver's window. Mike added: "To be fair, the coach driver was very apologetic." The coach, a 14-tonne Mercedes-Benz, had gone under height restriction tape but stopped before reaching the suspension bridge itself. With Mike's help, the coach reversed, bringing down the tape.
Weight limit and monitoring failure
The bridge has a 7.5-tonne weight limit, introduced to protect the structure while heavy gantries are suspended from it. Typically, 24-hour supervision by contractors ensures compliance. However, after workers faced abuse and harassment, they left without notice, leaving the crossing between Anglesey and Gwynedd unmonitored.
Vehicles exceeding the weight limit trigger automatic inspections and bridge closures. Despite extensive signage, repeated violations have caused traffic jams, frustrating local communities. Mike said the coach driver made a genuine mistake and was sorry: "Not all HGV drivers are doing it on purpose."
Ongoing issues and frustrations
Earlier on Monday morning (July 27), a lorry driver claimed his vehicle weighed 6.8 tonnes, but Traffic Wales later found it weighed around 15 tonnes. UK Highways A55 Ltd, which operates the crossing, reported some motorists deliberately ignore warnings.
Each closure sparks fury online, with comments like "how can drivers not see the dozens of signs?" Frustration has sometimes been directed at monitoring staff, leading to this week's walk-out. Mike, who crosses the bridge six times daily, believes the system is flawed: "It's like counting sheep to get to sleep and some staff may struggle to stay awake. Yet they are the last line of defence."
He acknowledged workers often stay on top of the situation, but added: "All the Menai Bridge businesses agree that better arrangements are needed, and that the Welsh Government should stop treating North Wales residents like second class citizens."
Uncertainty over repairs
Mike fears lasting solutions are needed. "After so many false dawns, no one believes the bridge repairs will actually be completed by the latest deadline, in spring 2027," he said. "Even now, there are unanswered questions, such as whether the weight restrictions will be retained when the work is finished."
