End in sight for HGV ban on Severn Bridge?

The current ban on vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes was introduced in May to minimise further damage to the structure. Engineers had discovered deterioration to the supporting cables during safety inspections, forcing HGVs to instead use the Prince of Wales bridge to travel between England and Wales.

National Highways is proposing to use traffic signals to ensure there are never too many HGVs using the crossing as part of a solution to allow the current weight restriction to be removed next autumn. It is considering two options at both Junctions 1 & 2 of the M48 to manage loads which would allow HGVs back across the bridge without overloading its cables.

At Junction 1, National Highways proposes to route westbound HGVs off the M48 via the off-slip and on-slip and control re-entry by way of signals.

One option would control access for all vehicles while another would have a dedicated HGV lane, controlling access back onto the bridge.

At Junction 2, the proposal is to either control HGV movements using traffic signals across the roundabout or, like at Junction 1, control HGV access from the eastbound on-slip using signals.

For the vast majority of the time, National Highways says that the system would operate freely to release HGVs so they are spread out across the length of the bridge and not concentrated in close proximity, creating very little delay to traffic.

Alan Feist, programme leader for National Highways, said: “Safety is our number one priority and this weight restriction is about keeping the bridge safe for use now and 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.

“We appreciate that this has been disruptive for businesses and hauliers, but we have been working at pace on these options and are pleased to be in on track to get HGVs back onto the M48 bridge next year.”