Warning to UK drivers issued as motorway to be hit by major weekend closure | UK | News
Drivers are being warned that there could be serious disruption on one of the country’s busiest routes this weekend. A large part of the M4 will be closed to traffic due to the start of construction of a new bridge on Friday night (24 October).
M4 north Bristol There will be closures in both directions between J18 for Bath and J19 for the M32 from 7pm on Friday. It will reopen at 6 a.m. on Monday, October 27. It is closing so eight large girders can be removed for the new A432 Badminton Road Bridge.
Workers will use special machinery to install the beams over the weekend, marking the final milestone in the construction phase of the scheme.
The work was planned to be carried out earlier this year but was postponed due to delays in the production of the beams.
Despite this delay, National Highways still expects the new bridge to open to the public early next year.
Wales Online National Highways route manager Sean Walsh said: “We recognize road closures can be frustrating for people.
“We need to close the M4 completely because we use specialist machinery and it is vital we keep operators and drivers safe.
“Once completed, the new bridge will help reconnect motorists, businesses and local communities impacted by the closure.”
According to National Highways, up to 4,000 vehicles use the affected section of the M4 every hour during peak periods at weekends.
It warned of “significant disruption” as a result of work carried out this weekend and advised drivers to avoid the area as much as possible and plan their journeys for different times.
The agency advises that if you are heading west, leave the M4 J18 and join the A46 towards Bath, take the A420 across Pennsylvania towards Warmley at the A46/A420 junction.
After this, join the A4174 onto the M32 at the A420/A4174 junction at Warmley and join the M4 at J19 via the M32 J1. For those traveling eastbound, follow the same route in the opposite direction.
National Highways has issued a reminder that road closures are also subject to change at short notice. It was stated that the work to be carried out this weekend depends on the good weather.
If the work cannot be carried out this weekend, National Highways said the closure will be rearranged from October 31 to November 3.
