Drivers of heavy goods vehicles have been warned of a new ban on travelling along a major route from next month as work to preserve a 60-year-old bridge begins.
From Tuesday, May 27, HGVs weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will not be able to use the M48 Severn Crossing as crucial work on the bridge gets underway.
Despite the weight restriction, two lanes on the M48 bridge will remain open to all other vehicles while vital repair work begins, with HGVs advised to find alternative routes.
The weight restriction will be in place for roughly 12 to 18 months while National Highways develops and installs a medium-term solution to fix the structure of the bridge.
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The ban for HGVs will be in place for between 12 and 18 months
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
Chris Pope, Programme Delivery Manager for National Highways, said: "Safety is our number one priority, and this weight restriction is about future-proofing the bridge for years to come.
"While the bridge remains safe, it was not designed and built for today’s levels or weight of traffic. Vehicles have got heavier, and traffic levels have increased significantly over the last 60 years, putting greater load on the cables.As with all our structures, we will continue to monitor the bridge and ensure it remains safe for users."
Last year, the M48 Severn Bridge carried roughly 32,000 vehicles a day, with 3,270 being heavy goods vehicles weighing over 7.5 tonnes.
Due to the restrictions, at least 10 per cent of traffic will be diverted to the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge, which could see more congestion as a result.
Since the bridge opened nearly 60 years ago, the size and weight of HGVs have increased significantly due to evolving transport demands, some rising from 22 tonnes to 44 tonnes, with the bridge needing to be repaired to accommodate the larger vehicles.
Traffic numbers have also increased over the decades, with a 34 per cent jump in traffic since 2018. National Highways stated that these changes have meant a substantial increase in weight over the bridge, which it was not designed for.
Over the past few years, the M48 Severn Bridge has undergone several major assessments and interventions related to its main suspension cables, which were facing corrosion and strength reduction due to harsh weather conditions and increased vehicle use.
In 2022/23, National Highways assessed the bridge's main cables due to concerns of structural failure, followed by further laboratory testing.
Finalised in December 2024, the results revealed that the main cables on the bridge were "deteriorating and not as strong", with National Highways prompted to reduce the load on the bridge to minimise further damage.
Pope added: "We’d like to thank drivers for their support and must stress that only heavy goods vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes in weight should use the bridge.
"Continued use of the bridge by heavier HGVs could ultimately see it closed to all traffic. We are acting now to prevent this from happening."
The M48 Severn Bridge will remain open to all emergency vehicles, scheduled buses, coaches, gritters and recovery vehicles.
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The M48 Severn Bridge carried more than 32,000 vehicles daily last year
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
National Highways did note that if there is an unplanned closure of the Prince of Wales Bridge, HGVs will need to follow the official diversion route via the M5 and the M50.
To help keep the bridge clear, the agency said Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras "are being explored" to support enforcement of the new weight restriction.
