Local residents are being reminded that the M4 near Bath will be closed this weekend as the A432 Badminton Road Bridge is demolished.
The bridge that will be demolished above the M4 | Photo © National Highways
The motorway will be closed in both directions between junctions 18 (Bath) and 19 (M32) from 7pm this evening Friday 21st March, until 6am on Monday 24th March.
National Highways says that with 3,000 to 4,000 vehicles using this section of the M4 every hour over peak weekend periods, the closure is likely to cause “substantial disruption”.
Drivers are being advised, where possible, to avoid the area and plan journeys for alternative times.
A diversion for westbound traffic will be as follows:
- From M4 junction 18, exit the motorway roundabout to the A46 heading towards Bath
- At the A46/A420 junction just past Pennsylvania take the A420 towards Warmley
- At the A420/A4174 junction in Warmley, take the A4174 towards the M32
- Join the M32 at junction 1 and head to the M4 junction 19
Follow the directions above in reverse for exiting at M4 junction 19.
The eastbound diversion will be in reverse.
The demolition will be noisy, but National Highways will phase the works for safety and to reduce overnight noise where possible.
For safety, there will be an exclusion zone in place around the bridge during the demolition work and National Highways is reminding members of the public to not try to access the work site.
National Highways’ route manager Sean Walsh said: “This is one of the busiest sections of motorway in the South West which is why we are giving drivers as much notice as possible so they’re able to plan their journeys well in advance.
“We carefully plan our schemes to limit any inconvenience, but sometimes it’s not possible to carry out the work that’s needed without a closure.
“Our message for anyone who plans to travel on the M4 around Bristol this weekend is to avoid the area if you can – if that’s not possible, allow yourself plenty of extra time to complete your journey via our signed diversion routes and expect delays.”
As part of the exclusion zone, the Cuckoo Lane junction on the A432 Badminton Road has been closed to traffic, pedestrians and cyclists. During this closure, access to Cuckoo Lane will be via Down Road and Bury Hill.
The bridge has been closed to traffic since the summer of 2023 after extensive cracking was discovered.
Once demolished, National Highways will begin work on constructing the new one.
This will require a further closure of the M4 later in the year to begin lifting the replacement bridge into place, with dates yet to be confirmed.
