Motorists are being warned to expect months of contraflow on the M5 motorway near Bradley Stoke in connection with bridge repair works being carried out by National Highways.
The bridges on the M5 at junctions 15 (Almondsbury Interchange) and 16 (A38 Aztec West / Filton / Thornbury) are now over 50 years old and in need of refurbishment.
Waterproofing, surfacing, expansion joints and repairs to the concrete are needed to maintain the bridges and are part of ongoing bridge refurbishment works in the South West.
The work is planned to commence with a month of overnight road closures from Monday 31st July 2023. Contraflow traffic management will be introduced from October 2023 and is expected to be in place until the bridge repair works are completed in “summer 2024”.
National Highways say the bridge repair work has been intentionally organised to overlap with the current M4/M5 safety enhancements project – “reducing how long traffic management will be in place and enabling contractors to share resources and cut costs”.
The M4/M5 safety enhancements project is planned to complete in “winter 2023”.
Project schedule
The planned schedule of work for the bridge repair project is:
- Commencing Monday 31st July 2023 for approximately one month – overnight closures in place between M5 J15 (Almondsbury Interchange) and J17 (Cribbs Causeway), from 8pm to 6am, subject to traffic flows
- September 2023 – installation of 24/7 narrow lanes and continue preparation works which will include the construction of a crossover
- October 2023 – switch to contraflow. This will enable access to the bridge decks to begin the bridge refurbishment works. The bridge deck works will be carried out in four distinct phases, each one requiring a change in the contraflow layout.
In summary, traffic management will be in place on the M5 between junctions 15 and 17 from 31st July 2023 to summer 2024.
Keith Warren, senior project manager for National Highways, said:
“We appreciate roadworks can be frustrating, but we need to carry out this work to ensure the long-term integrity of the bridges and that they are fit for the future.”
“We appreciate this is a busy area, and there’s never a good time to carry out roadworks. We’re delivering these improvements at the same time as the ongoing M4/M5 safety enhancements so we can share resources and cut down on the time we’ll be working on the road.”
“Please accept our apologies in advance for any disruption which may be caused. We’ll make every effort to ensure the impact is kept to a minimum.”
A spokesperson for National Highways added:
“We always aim to work to the programme, however unforeseen circumstances or adverse weather conditions may mean work is sometimes postponed.”
For the latest information on the M5 bridge repair project, visit: M5 junction 15 Almondsbury and junction 16 Patchway bridge deck refurbishment (National Highways)
Drivers can obtain up-to-the-minute travel information on local radio, the @HighwaysSWEST Twitter feed, by phoning the National Highways Information Line on 0300 123 5000 or by accessing the Traffic England website.
Related link: Roadworks in and around Bradley Stoke (The Journal)
