M4 Prince of Wales bridge resurfacing

We’re resurfacing a section of the M4 Prince of Wales bridge to extend the life of the road surface, providing smoother and safer journeys for motorists.

Start date Summer 2024
End date Autumn 2024
Cost TBC

Latest updates

  • 09 September 2024

    Lane closures and contraflow in place

    A lane is now closed in each direction, with a contraflow and a reduced speed limit on the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge as we work to resurface and repair the central section of the bridge - the first time it has been done since the bridge opened in 1996.

    We’ve also closed a lane on the M49 on the approach to the M4 junction 22 roundabout to help traffic safely move onto the Prince of Wales Bridge and into the roadworks. This should help reduce congestion on the motorway, roundabout and for anyone joining the M4. We’ll continue to monitor the traffic around the area and make any further changes as necessary to help keep everyone safe and moving. Thank you for patience and consideration of others during these essential works.  

    Signage on both sides of the bridge provides live travel information for the M4 and M48 to help you plan your journey. When approaching the bridge, please follow signage. 

    We’ll need some overnight closures as our work progresses to allow us to move the contraflow, ensuring we can carry out work across the full width of the carriageway. Keep an eye on our social media channels and here for more details.

    Closure information for the Prince of Wales bridge

    We'll provide details of any full closures here as our work progresses. Remember to plan ahead and check before you travel.

    We've had to postpone our closures to move the contraflow to the next phase. We'll provide more information here once new dates are confirmed.

    Progress

    We'll be regularly sharing pictures and videos of our work so you can see what's happening within the closure.

    Here's a quick summary of what we're doing

    We’re resurfacing and carrying out concrete repairs on the Prince of Wales Bridge that carries the M4 over the Severn Estuary. Once complete, it will improve the road surface for motorists, ensure we keep the bridge structure in good condition by waterproofing, and reduce the need for unplanned repairs moving forward.

    This work is being carried out using a mixture of overnight and lane closures, with a temporary contraflow and reduced speed limit on the bridge to keep two lanes open in each direction.

    The contraflow was set up in July and will be in place until our work is finished. This is currently expected to be at the end of autumn, but we’ll be doing everything we can to get the work done as quickly as possible.

    Please remember that closure details can change at short notice. For the most up-to-date information on dates, times and locations, check our daily closures page.

    Diversion routes will be clearly signposted. Please don't follow your satnav during any closure and check your journey before you travel. 

    If you have any queries about this work, please contact us by email: info@nationalhighways.co.uk or call 0300 123 5000.

See more updates

Project information

M4 Prince of Wales bridge
Overview

The M4 Prince of Wales Bridge is one of two crossings over the River Severn, providing a vital connection between England and Wales.

We need to re-waterproof and resurface a 1km stretch of the cable stay bridge to extend the life of the road surface.

We aim to maintain as much capacity as possible by:

  • keeping 2 lanes running in both directions
  • offering the M48 Severn bridge as an alternative route

We need to carry out this work during times when the M48 bridge is least likely to be closed due to wind.

We'll use a mixture of overnight and lane closures. A temporary contraflow and reduced speed limit on the bridge will keep two lanes open in each direction.

We set up contraflow in July and it will be in place until our work is finished. This is currently expected to be at the end of autumn. We’ll do everything we can to get the work done as quickly as possible.

  • Extended life of road surface
  • We’re less likely to return in the future to carry out repairs
  • Provides smoother and safer journeys

Documents

Traffic information

Information about scheduled roadworks and events on our motorways and major roads.

Contact us

0300 123 5000

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