Seven months of lane closures begin on the Severn Bridge from next Monday to allow engineers to inspect suspension cables supporting the structure.

 

Work will mean the closure of the inside lanes of both carriageways until the autumn. Vehicles over 2.9m wide will be prohibited from using the bridge until inspections are complete and the structure will be closed completely over four weekends; the first of which will be on 16 and 17 April.

 

Highways England project manager Chris Pope said: “Inspections are vital to allow us to understand the condition of the suspension cables and confirm that measures we have implemented over the last 10 years have been effective in ensuring the long term viability of the bridge and the safety of its users.”

 

Significant levels of corrosion were found on suspension cables at the Severn Bridge in 2006 after a programme of inspection, according to House of Commons records. A dehumidification system was later installed to address the problem, along with an acoustic monitoring system to track further deterioration.

 

Similar problems with corrosion were found on the Forth road bridge in Scotland, which ultimately led to a replacement structure being commissioned alongside.

 

The Severn Bridge carries the M48 between England and Wales and is 50 years old this year. Traffic flows increased by almost two thirds during the 1980s, leading to severe congestion at peak times. This prompted call for a further crossing to be built and work to build the Second Severn Crossing 5km downstream of the first bridge began in 1992.

 

(Photo: Ed Webster and licensed for reuse under this Creative Common Licence)