M4 / M5 interchange Dynamic Hard Shoulder enhancements
We are upgrading dynamic hard shoulder motorways, starting with the central reservation barriers.
Latest updates
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17 April 2024
Overnight lane closures - April 2024
M4 J19 to J20 and M5 J16 to J17
Overnight lane closures will be in place between Monday 22 April and Friday 26 April, to allow us to carry out work safely.
Overnight lane closures will start at 9pm and finish by 6am, subject to traffic flow.
Lane closures
M5 J17 to J16
- Monday 22 April - lane 1 northbound and southbound
- Tuesday 23 April - lane 1 northbound and southbound
- Wednesday 24 April - lane 1 northbound and southbound
M4 J20 to J19
- Thursday 25 April - lane 1 eastbound
- Friday 26 April - lane 1 eastbound
In the event of poor weather conditions or issues outside of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes early lane closures may be removed early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
For information on closures at our nearby M5 J15 to J16 bridge refurbishment works, follow this link
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26 March 2024
Overnight closures - March 2024 update and newsletter
You can view our March newsletter here
Full road closure
M5 J18 to J16 northbound will be closed Monday 25 March until Wednesday 27 March.
Diversion for M5 northbound closure:
Overnight closures will usually start from 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Lane closures
M4 J19 to J20 westbound overnight lanes closure Monday 18 March until Friday 22 March.
M5 J16 to J17 southbound lane 1 overnight closure Monday 25 March, Tuesday 26 March and Wednesday 27 March.
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are also in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes on an earlier day the motorway may not close, or if work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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26 February 2024
Overnight closures February and March 2024
We need to carry out essential maintenance work on the M4 and M5. To do this safely overnight closures will be in place on the following dates:
Thursday 29 February to Friday 8 March 2024 - M4 junctions 19 to 20 westbound closed overnight
Diversion for westbound closure:
Monday 4 to Friday 8 March - M5 junction 16 southbound exit slip road closed overnight
Diversion for M5 southbound exit slip closure:
Monday 11 to Friday 22 March - M4 junction 19 to junction 20 eastbound closed overnight
Please note: There will be no overnight closure on Thursday 14 March, the road will be open as usual.
Monday 11 to Friday 15 March- overnight closures of lane 3 will be in place between junctions 19 and 20.
Diversion for M4 junction19 to junction 20 closure:
Overnight closures usually start at 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely. During the day the road will be open as usual.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav rather than follow our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues outside our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are in place if previously planned work is unavoidably delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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06 February 2024
February newsletter and overnight closures
Overnight road closures will be taking place on the M4 between junctions 19 and 20 of the M4 and on the M5 southbound exit slip road at junction 16. We need to close the roads so we can carry out essential maintenance works.
Our overnight closures will usually start from 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Full road closures
- M4 junction 20 to junction 19 eastbound - Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14 and Friday 16 February
Diversion for eastbound closure:
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M4 junction 19 to junction 20 westbound - Monday 19, Tuesday 20, Wednesday 21, Thursday 22 and Friday 23 February
Diversion for westbound closure
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M5 junction 16 southbound exit slip road - Monday 19, Tuesday 20, Wednesday 21, Thursday 22 and Friday 23 February
Diversion for M5 junction 16 southbound exit slip road
In the event of poor weather or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes on an earlier day the motorway may not close, or if work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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11 January 2024
January newsletter and overnight closures
Overnight closures – Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 January 2024
We have some road closures taking place between junctions 19 and 20 of the M4 and on the M5 southbound exit slip road at junction 16. We need to close the roads so we can carry out some essential maintenance works.
Our overnight closures will usually start from 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Full road closure
M4 junction 19 to junction 20 westbound will be closed on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 January.
Exit slip road closure
M5 junction 16 southbound exit slip road will be closed for essential maintenance works overnight on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 January. Please follow the locally signed diversion route.
Lane closure
M4 junctions 19 to 20 westbound lane 3 will be closed overnight Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 January
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are also in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes on an earlier day the motorway may not close, or if work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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07 December 2023
December newsletter and overnight closure
We need to close the M4 junction 19 westbound entry slip road on Thursday 21 December for some emergency repair work. We’ll close the slip road later than usual in an attempt to reduce disruption as we know this is a busy time of the year. We’ll have the slip road open again by 5am on Friday 22 December. The M4 mainline carriageway will be unaffected and open as usual.
We plan to start the overnight slip road closure at 10pm and reopen the slip road by 5am, but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Diversion for M4 junction 19 westbound entry slip road closure:
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are also in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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30 November 2023
Overnight closures - December 2023
We have some road closures taking place between junctions 19 and 20 of the M4 and on the M5 southbound exit slip road at junction 16. We need to close the roads so we can carry out some essential maintenance works.
Our overnight closures will usually start from 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Full road closures
M4 junction 19 to junction 20 westbound will be closed on Tuesday 5, Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 December.
Diversion for M4 junction 19 to junction 20 westbound
The M5 junction 16 southbound exit slip road will be closed on Tuesday 5, Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 December.
Diversion for M5 junction 16 southbound exit slip road closure:
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are also in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes on an earlier day the motorway may not close, or if work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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08 November 2023
Overnight closures - November 2023
We have some road closures taking place between junctions 19 and 20 of the M4. We need to close the roads so we can carry out essential maintenance work.
Overnight closures will usually start at 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Full road closures
M4 junction 19 to junction 20 westbound will be closed on Monday 13, Tuesday 14, and Wednesday 15 November 2023.
Diversion for westbound closures:
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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07 November 2023
November newsletter
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05 October 2023
October newsletter
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07 September 2023
September newsletter
Please open - See more updates - for closure dates in September
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06 September 2023
Overnight closures - September 2023
We have some overnight road closures taking place between junctions 19 and 20 of the M4. We need to close the roads so we can carry out some essential maintenance works.
Our closures will usually start from 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Full road closures
Eastbound - M4 junction 20 to junction 19 will be closed on Monday 11, Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 September.
Westbound - M4 junction 19 to junction 20 will be closed on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 September.
Diversion for both eastbound and westbound closures
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are also in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes on an earlier day the motorway may not close, or if work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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08 August 2023
August newsletter
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18 July 2023
Overnight closures July 2023
Overnight road closures will be in place between junctions 20 and 19 of the M4. The road closures are needed so we can carry out some maintenance works.
Our overnight closures will usually start from 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Overnight road closures
Monday 24 July 2023 - The M4 junction 20 to junction 19 eastbound will be closed
Tuesday 25 July 2023 - The M4 junction 20 to junction 19 westbound will be closed
Diversion
The diversion route for the M4 junction 20 to junction 19 eastbound closure will follow the diversion above but in reverse.
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes on an earlier day the motorway may not close, or if work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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27 June 2023
June newsletter
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18 May 2023
May progress update
We have now installed all the narrow lanes needed for our works and have removed the existing metal barrier from the central reservation. We have removed all the foundations from the area and stripped away the topsoil.
On the M5, at each of the new emergency stopping areas we are installing, we have been preparing the ground. This has involved removing a section of the metal barrier and some of the lighting.
What’s happening next?
On the M4, our next key activity will be upgrading and replacing the drainage system.
For the M5 works, we will shortly begin our earthworks activity on the exit slip road of junction 16 – primarily removing the topsoil.
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03 May 2023
Spring newsletter - May 2023
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16 March 2023
Update to overnight closures March 2023
This week, we continue our work on the M4 by putting in narrow lanes and a reduced speed limit. This is to create a safe working space for our team and to keep traffic moving as we start our upgrade work.
Alongside this, we’ll also begin working on the M5. We will be putting in narrow lanes and a reduced speed limit here too.
Our overnight closures will usually start from 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Narrow lane installation closures
The M4 junction 19 to junction 20 westbound will be closed overnight on Thursday 16 March, Friday 17 March, Saturday 18 March, Sunday 19 March, Monday 20 March and Tuesday 21 March 2023.
Diversion:
The M4 junction 20 westbound exit slip road to M5 southbound link road and the exit to the M5 northbound link road will be closed overnight on Friday 17 March and Saturday 18 March.
The M5 junction 16 southbound exit slip road and link road will also be closed overnight on Friday 17 March and Saturday 18 March.
Diversion:
The M5 junction 18a northbound to junction 16, the M5 junction 18a northbound entry slip road and the M5 junction 17 northbound entry slip road will be closed overnight on Friday 24 March and Saturday 25 March.
Diversion:
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are also in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes on an earlier day the motorway may not close, or if work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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09 March 2023
Overnight closures March 2023
This week our carriageway preparation continues, and we’ll start to now put in narrow lanes and a reduced speed limit on the M4. This is to create a safe working space for our team and keep traffic moving as we start our upgrade work.
Our overnight closures will usually start from 9pm and finish by 6am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Temporary road marking preparation works closures
The M4 junction 19 eastbound exit slip road closed will be closed overnight on Thursday 9 March 2023.
Diversion:
The M4 junction 19 westbound entry slip road will be closed on Saturday 11 March, Sunday 12 March, Monday 13 March, Tuesday 14 March and Wednesday 15 March 2023.
Diversion:
The M4 junction 20 westbound exit slip road to the M5 junction * northbound and southbound on Saturday 11 March, Sunday 12 March, Monday 13 March, Tuesday 14 March and Wednesday 15 March 2023.
Diversion:
Narrow lane installation closures
The M5 junction 15 northbound and southbound exit slip roads to the M4 junction 20 eastbound will be closed overnight on Friday 10 March, Saturday 11 March, Sunday 12 March, Monday 13 March, Tuesday 14 March and Wednesday 15 March 2023.
Diversion:
The M4 junction 20 to junction 19 eastbound will be closed overnight on Friday 10 March, Saturday 11 March, Sunday 12 March, Monday 13 March, Tuesday 14 March and Wednesday 15 March 2023.
Diversion:
The M4 junction 19 to junction 20 westbound will be closed overnight on Thursday 16 March, Friday 17 March, Saturday 18 March, Sunday 19 March, Monday 20 March and Tuesday 21 March 2023.
Diversion:
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are also in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes on an earlier day the motorway may not close, or if work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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24 February 2023
Overnight closures February and March 2023
We’ll soon start putting in narrow lanes and a reduced speed limit on the M4 to create a safe working space for our team and keep traffic moving as we start our upgrade work.
Our overnight closures will usually start from 9pm and finish by 5am but this can change depending on the volume of traffic and when we can close the road safely.
Temporary road marking preparation works closures
The M5 junction 15 northbound and southbound exit link roads to the M4 junction 20 eastbound will be closed overnight on: Monday 27 February, Tuesday 28 February, Wednesday 1 March, Thursday 2 March and Friday 3 March 2023.
The M4 junction 19 eastbound exit slip road closed will be closed overnight on Saturday 4 March, Sunday 5 March, Monday 6 March, Tuesday 7 March, Wednesday 8 March and Thursday 9 March 2023.
In the event of poor weather conditions or other issues out of our control, planned work may be postponed at short notice. Contingency bookings are also in place, but these are only used if previously planned work is delayed and there is no clash with other closures. If work completes on an earlier day the motorway may not close, or if work completes ahead of schedule the motorway may reopen early.
Our diversion routes are designed to suit all types of vehicles. If you use a Satnav when following our diversion, there is a risk it could direct you down an unsuitable road or try to direct you back onto our network when it is closed.
Plan your journey, even if it’s a regular trip. You can do this by checking our Daily Closure Report or visiting our Travel Updates page.
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08 February 2023
Start of work
We are starting work later this month to upgrade a six-mile section of motorway around the Almondsbury interchange, to further improve driver safety.
The work, on the M4 between junction 19 for Bristol and where it meets the M5 at the Almondsbury interchange, and on the M5 to junction 17 at Cribbs Causeway, includes:
- upgrading a 4-mile section of existing steel barrier to concrete in the central reservation of the M4 around Almondsbury interchange
- building three new emergency areas on the M5
- upgrading traffic signs to provide better information for drivers
- drainage work
- renewing lighting
- additional CCTV cameras
We’re planning to complete the work on both sections of motorway in winter 2023.
Upcoming roadworks
We will start our work on the section of the M4 junction 19 to 20 from Monday 27 February. Our first task will be getting the road ready to install narrow lanes so that we can complete the work safely.
We’re planning to install the narrow lanes from 7 March 2023. We will carry out this work overnight with road closures and diversions in place, this should take about two weeks.
On the M5 junction 16 to 17 at Almondsbury we plan to start preparing for narrow lanes and temporary traffic management installation towards the end of March. This will also be done overnight.
We will start construction on both sections once the narrow lanes are in place. There will be a reduced speed limit of 50mph, temporary 24/7 roadworks CCTV monitoring and a free recovery service.
Please note that all work may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances or poor weather conditions. Please check this webpage and our Twitter account before travelling for the latest information.
You can find details of all full closures on our daily closures page.
Project information
These enhancements have been developed as part of our work to upgrade older Dynamic Hard Shoulder (DHS) motorways to the latest safety standards.
As announced in the Government response to the Transport Committee recommendations, the conversion of DHS motorway to All Lane Running is being paused, while we consider alternative ways in which to operate the dynamic hard shoulder.
In the meantime, we'll be installing further safety measures for DHS motorways that are in operation, including upgrading the central reservation barrier, carrying out drainage improvements and constructing new emergency areas.
We are upgrading sections of the M4 and M5 central reservation barrier from steel to concrete, to improve the safety and reliability of journeys. The M5 will have three new emergency areas created, providing more places to stop in an emergency.
We’ll maintain capacity by installing 3 narrow lanes with a 50mph average speed restriction in place. Any other restrictions will be limited to overnight when traffic flows are lowest.
We’re coordinating closely with another National Highways project to refurbish two bridges at the junction 15 and 16 interchanges on the M5, sharing roadworks and resources to provide as smooth a journey for drivers as possible.
We are also providing an enhanced free recovery service to help any drivers who break down or are involved in an accident as quickly as possible and keep traffic moving for everyone else.
Despite these steps we expect that some delays are inevitable, especially at peak times. We will be encouraging drivers to plan their journeys to avoid these times if possible.
Please follow @HighwaysSWEST on Twitter for real time updates on traffic conditions or incidents.
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