Heavy goods vehicles face being prevented from crossing into England due to a weight limit on the Severn Bridge, it has been warned. A ban on vehicles weighing 7.5 tonnes and more was introduced on the 60-year-old suspension bridge in May last year.
It means lorries, which made up around 10 per cent of the 32,000 vehicles crossing the bridge daily, have faced a 13-mile diversion using the M4 Prince of Wales bridge.
Medium-Term Solution from October
From October, a medium-term solution intended to reopen the bridge to HGVs is expected to be in place. This will require them to exit slip roads on approaches at both sides of the bridge and be released onto the bridge in controlled numbers.
But eastbound HGVs travelling towards England will remain banned during morning peak hours between 6am and 10am.
Alan Feist, programme manager for National Highways, explained the morning restriction was designed to prevent congestion for commuters at Junction 2 near Chepstow.
"We're very conscious that if we implement the solution and have the HGVs coming off at junction two up the slip road round the roundabout and then back on to get onto the bridge in the AM peak, it will block all the traffic," he told the committee.
Mr Feist indicated the lights would predominantly show green, adding that the red light wouldn't be seen more than "once or twice a day".
National Highways Statement
National Highways said: "Together with local authorities and businesses, we've identified how to manage the number of HGVs using the M48 Severn crossing. This solution will enable us to remove the current weight restriction.
"From next autumn HGVs will leave the M48 at Junctions 1 (westbound) and Junction 2 (eastbound) by the off-slip roads. Signals on the on-slips will control their re-entry to the M48.
"Most of the time the system will operate ‘freely’. This means releasing HGVs so they're spread out across the length of the bridge, not concentrated together. This approach will create very little delay to HGV or car traffic.
"The system can also be used to keep HGVs off the bridge if there is a significant incident in the area."
