Bridge over M4 to stay closed until at least December

Traffic problems caused by the closure of a bridge over the M4 could last until at least the end of the year.

National Highways shut the A432 Badminton Road overbridge, which links Downend and Yate, earlier this month after finding “accelerated deterioration and cracking”.

Diversions, put in place while detailed investigation work goes ahead, have caused long queues and delays.

The agency said the earliest the A432 could now re-open would be December.

South Gloucestershire Council, which looks after the local road network but not the bridge itself, said its priority was to minimise disruption.

It said it was monitoring and reviewing the situation daily and was already making plans for when schools return in September, BBC News reported.

A National Highways spokesperson said: “We have made the decision to close the structure as this will limit any further damage whilst we undertake detailed investigations into the nature and extent of the defects and assess their impact on the structure.

“The earliest that a decision can be made regarding future restrictions is likely to be December 2023.”