A major motorway bridge that services thousands of drivers each day is set to shut in the coming days for maintenance works.
The popular Prince of Wales Bridge connects England and Wales and is used by drivers moving between Bristol to Newport. Workers will re-surface the road over the span of a few days and will carry out repairs overnight. The work will require lane closures across the bridge. According to National Highways, maintenance will begin on Sunday, April 27 and will last until May 5. Over those days the bridge westbound will close between 9pm and 6am the following day.
Drivers have been urged to follow diversions via the M48 Severn Bridge while maintenance is underway. Full overnight closures will also happen on May 1, 6 and 7 which will run from 9pm to 6am.
Heavy goods vehicles over the 7.5t weight restriction have been told they might not be able to access the bridge due to weight restrictions. “We’re continuing our resurfacing works on the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge,” National Highways said. “The works will extend the life of the road surface, providing smoother and safer journeys for motorists.
“Last year, damage was found close to the central reservation of the bridge during the westbound resurfacing works. This has meant that since the new year, our teams have been undertaking some complex, and unexpected, design and repair works. These repairs are now complete and will ensure the carriageway remains safe for motorists to use. “
The bridge has been under repairs and maintenance since last year and will need further waterproofing and resurfacing on about 1km of the bridge. Motorists have been told they should expect delays and that it can last for several days at a time.
National Highways continued: “We understand that these closures cause disruption to road users and local communities, and we’re striving to keep the bridges open as often as we can. Our work isn’t always visible. We may be carrying out repairs underneath the road surface, or waiting for construction materials to dry or set before continuing our work.”
Maintenance works will also include inspecting the concrete bridge deck as well as replacing drainage covers and maintaining facilities in the towers. The disruption is expected to affected traffic going in both directions from Junction 22 on the M49 to Junction 23 on the M48.
“Due to the condition of main bridge cables, we need to reduce the load on the bridge to keep it open to most traffic,” National Highways said. “For the time being, this means removing the heaviest vehicles.”
“Like any major structure, the bridges need frequent maintenance to keep them in a safe and serviceable condition,” National Highways said in a statement on its website. “Sometimes we need to close a bridge to keep road users and our team safe while we work.”
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