More M4 closures needed when new bridge over motorway built
A bridge that had been out of action for a fortnight over one of the M4 motorway's busiest sections was finally torn down over the weekend. The A432 Badminton Road overbridge, linking the Wick Wick Roundabout to Winterbourne and Coalpit Heath, was dismantled during an almost 60-hour operation. From Friday at 7pm until Monday morning (March 24) at 6am, the M4 was shut between junction 18 (for Bath) and junction 19 (for the M32).
During this period, the nearly six-decade-old bridge was gradually taken apart. Starting from the bridge's edges, the team worked their way inwards before letting the bridge crumble onto the M4 below, as reports Bristol Live[1].
Demolition of the A432 bridge over the M4
However, the construction of a new bridge is set to kick off soon, a process that could span up to a year. Come April, work will commence on the new bridge, which will be erected at the same location.
A CGI rendering of the future bridge reveals it will feature three lanes, with two heading southbound (towards Wick Wick Roundabout). The bridge's construction is expected to take more than a year. National Highways and South Gloucestershire Council are aiming to open the bridge to the public by March 2026.
In the interim, there won't be a substitute bridge available.
Demolition of the A432 bridge over the M4
National Highways has warned that later this year, the M4 will have to be closed again as part of these works. The bridge required replacement due to damage found on the southeast underside of the structure, where concrete cracking was discovered. Constructed in 1966, the bridge was designed "at a time when future maintenance was less of a consideration" according to National Highways.
As the bridge's deterioration was accelerating, it had to be closed to road traffic, although pedestrian and cyclist access was maintained. However, on Friday, March 7, this access was removed to prepare for the bridge's demolition.
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References
- ^ Bristol Live (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
- ^ Somerset Live (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
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- ^ Somerset Live (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
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