image source, MJRichardson | Geography
Passengers on the busiest routes between Wales and England could face disruption in July as both the M4 Severn Bridge and the Severn Rail Tunnel close for repairs.
Trains between South Wales and Bristol, London and the south coast of England will be affected by the 16-day closure of the Severn Tunnel between Wednesday 3 July and Friday 19 July.
The M4 Bridge will also close eastbound on Wednesday and Thursday July 10 and 11 – although the original M48 Severn Bridge is due to remain open while its sister crossing is closed.
- Author, Peter Shuttleworth
- Role, BBC news
- Report from Monmouthshire
When is the Severn Bridge closed in July?
image source, Getty Images
Highways England, which maintains the two Severn bridges, has warned commuters and tourists will face delays until the autumn as the bridge will be dual carriageway to allow workers to carry out resurfacing work.
This means that occasionally in July the only main route between South Wales and South West England will cross the M48 bridge connecting Chepstow and Aust.
- The M4 westbound will be closed on the bridge between 9pm and 5am BST each night on Monday and Tuesday 8th and 9th July – as well as the tunnel closure
- There will be eastbound closures on the M4 between 9pm and 5am each night on Wednesday and Thursday 10 and 11 July – as well as tunnel closures
- The westbound carriageway on the M4 will be closed from 9pm on Saturday 20 July. On Sunday, July 21, from 5:00 a.m., there will be two lanes in the opposite direction and a reduced speed on the bridge during the summer.
Why is the Severn Bridge closing?
Highways England said it will also need more night-time closures of the M4 bridge later in the summer and autumn as road reconstruction progresses.
“If you will be using the bridge this summer, please expect delays and be prepared to use the M48 to ease congestion,” the road authority said.
“Carrying out these works in summer reduces the risk of the M48 bridge being closed due to weather and provides an alternative route for anyone crossing the river.”
It comes as train passengers between South Wales and England face more than two weeks of disruption due to the closure of the Severn Tunnel between Wednesday July 3 and Tuesday July 9.
This means passengers on mainline trains between South Wales and London have at least an extra hour on their journey as the service will go via Gloucester and not stop at Bristol.
Network Rail has also warned that there will be limited rail interchange between Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and Bristol Parkway – none will run direct to Bristol Temple Meads.
image source, Network rail
Why is the Severn Tunnel closed?
image source, Network rail
Engineers will replace four miles (7 km) of track – the entire length of the southern side towards Wales – by installing 66 new rails.
The team will also install 10,800 sleepers and more than 22,000 tons of new gravel and remove 21,000 tons of tailings.
Workers will also replace around 900m (2,950ft) of track at Cattybrook near Almondsbury and more than 230m (750ft) of track drainage will be replaced at Patchway Gap – between the two Patchway tunnels near Bristol.
The Severn Tunnel will also be closed on the weekends of 27 and 28 July and 24 and 25 August for remedial works.
What major events will be affected
image source, Getty Images
Music fans attending major outdoor concerts in South Wales this July may be affected by how to get to and from the concerts and have been warned to plan ahead and allow extra time for travel.
Shania Twain, Sir Tom Jones and Hozier are booked at Chepstow Racecourse on July 5 and July 6 while the Severn Tunnel is closed.
The National, Manic Street Preachers, Suede, JLS, Idles, Noel Gallagher and Madness are also set to play Cardiff Castle when the tunnel is closed.
Fans heading to see Rick Astley and the Lightning Seeds at Cardiff Castle on July 10 are being warned that the Severn Tunnel and the eastbound M4 Prince of Wales Bridge towards Bristol will be closed after the show.