Further M4 closures required for bridge repairs

BBC A drone image of a bridge over the M4 motorway. Cars are driving underneath the bridge which is undergoing repair workBBC
The A432 Badminton Road bridge over the M4 has been closed for more than three years

A stretch of the M4 will be closed "at least twice more" for urgent repairs on an overbridge, National Highways has said.

The A432 Badminton Road bridge in South Gloucestershire closed in July 2023 when its condition was found to be deteriorating during a routine inspection, and is expected to reopen in early 2026.

There was a full weekend closure in October 2024 and National Highways has said the M4 will have to close again in March for demolition work to take place, and again when new bridge beams are installed.

National Highways said it understood the disruption the closures would cause and thanked people for their patience.

The closure of the bridge, which would normally take about 16,000 vehicles a day between Yate and Bristol, has caused widespread disruption with one business telling the BBC it had lost 70% of its customers.

A diversion is in place to take traffic via Henfield Road and Down Road in Winterbourne, to reach the A4174 ring road in Bristol.

The bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists until it is demolished in March, when a full closure of the M4 is expected.

National Highways said it had funded traffic management and buses to minimise disruption.

"This is a complex process and we are working with partners to expedite the process as quickly as possible," a spokesperson said.

"In the meantime, we will ensure the bridge remains open to pedestrians and cyclists prior to its demolition."

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