IT HAS now been a week since the Menai Suspension Bridge closed for urgent repairs - and residents are beginning to get used to how silent it has fallen ever since.

On Friday, October 21, the Chronicle reported that the Welsh Government had made the decision to close the historic bridge following safety recommendations from structural engineers.

Structural engineers recommended that Menai Bridge should close to all traffic to allow essential maintenance work to take place.

Further investigation has found 'serious risks', according to the Welsh Government.

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People travelling over the neighbouring Britannia Bridge have been encouraged by Anglesey Council to car share and use park and ride facilities at Gaerwen (LL60 6AR) and Llanfairpwll (LL61 5YR).

The closure of the Menai has meant chaos for the Britannia of course with delays and tailbacks now a regular feature as people try to enter Bangor and exit Anglesey and vice versa.

It is estimated that the work on the bridge will take bewteen 14 and 16 weeks, taking it in to 2023.

Earlier this morning, reporter Arron Evans took a trip to the closed bridge to see for himself just how quiet it was (You can watch his live video of his walk over from the Bangor side here).

He said: "As an Anglesey resident for 27 years, I can safely say I have never been able to walk over the bridge without encountering someone else coming my way. But, I was completely alone this morning."

Orange cones lie at the entrance to the bridge and metal fencing has been placed across each archway to stop vehicles from proceeding through. 

Businesses in the Menai Bridge area are continuing to operate as normal and pedestrians and cyclists are still allowed to cross the bridge for the time being.