In 1966, something happened that made the UK more united than ever. The river Severn, which had cruelly separated the people of Gloucestershire from their friends in south Wales, was conquered. The Severn bridge became the second most famous bridge in and around Bristol, and made it way easier to commute from Newport, where houses are affordable, to Bristol, where you pay not far off London prices.
But that commute could be disrupted within the next couple of weeks, as both the Severn bridge and its tunnel counterpart are due to close so that resurfacing work can be done.
When the tunnel and bridge are both closed, the only way to get across the divide will be to go over the M48 bridge which connects Chepstow with Aust.
Worried about navigating the Severn in the next few weeks? Here’s everything you need to know about travel disruption in the area.
When is the Severn bridge and tunnel closed?
On July 15 and 16 the westbound carriageway will be completely closed, and eastbound it will be reduced to a single lane between 10pm and 6am.
On July 16 and 17 the reverse will happen, with the eastbound carriageway being shut and the westbound only having one operational lane, this time between 9pm and 6am.
On July 20 and 27 the westbound road will be cordoned off between 10pm and 6am, and there will be diversions on the eastbound route.
Why is it closing?
Unfortunately, the bridge is closing for pretty boring reasons. Basically, the roads are getting a bit old and need resurfacing so that they stay waterproof and safe for drivers. Nothing glamorous, but definitely necessary.
What are alternative routes?
As mentioned above, when the bridge is closed you’ll be diverted to the M48 bridge, which is fairly easy to get to. For more information on the diversion routes have a look on National Highways here.
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