Concern as major change to Severn Bridge begins

The M48 Severn Bridge was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1966

Hauliers have said they fear a ban on HGVs on the M48 Severn Bridge will be a "nightmare" for congestion on roads around south east Wales.

From Tuesday, vehicles over 7.5 tonnes will no longer be able to use the original crossing because the cables which support the bridge are deteriorating.

National Highways said safety was their "number one priority" and the weight restriction was to future-proof the bridge "for years to come".

But there are concerns the move will see more congestion on the Prince of Wales Bridge as well as other routes as HGV traffic has to use a 13-mile diversion back to the M4 Magor junction.

"It's going to be a right mess, I am just dreading it," said Darren Hobbs, transport manager for Jaga Brothers Tranport based in Magor.

"A lot of our work is time delivered - we are going to be ringing our customers to say, 'sorry we can't get there'," he said, adding it will create up to two hours extra work for drivers.

He said traffic in the area, particular on Friday was "carnage" and believes the changes will only make that worse.

Jaga Brothers sends up to 50 trucks over the bridges every day, according to transport manager Darren Hobbs

'Loads of questions'

According to National Highways, the UK government body which maintains the bridges, 32,000 vehicles used the M48 bridge a day in 2024.

Of that figure 10% were over 7.5 tonnes, meaning an extra 3,270 large vehicles a day could have to find a different route.

National Highways said since tolls were removed on the bridge in 2018 there has been a 34% increase in traffic, which has meant a substantial increase in weight over the bridge which it was not designed for.

The suspension cables are key to the bridge's engineering but inspections have revealed concerns about corrosion

Michael Gough, of AE Gough and Sons haulage firm based in Llandrindod Wells and director for Wales with the Road Haulage Association, said he believed the move will add a "huge amount of extra stress" for drivers.

"Our biggest worry is what happens when there is an incident on the Prince of Wales bridge," he said.

"At the moment all they are saying is that lorries will have to go up the M5 and down the M50.  There are just loads of questions. "

The ban will be in force for between 12 and 18 months while National Highways work to find a solution.

One option is to find a way to stagger the HGVS that want to cross the bridge through the kind of technology used in smart motorways.

Another solution would be to repair the cables, but it is estimated that could cost between £300m and £600m and take five years or more.

Chris Pope from National Highways insists the ban will not be permanent

Chris Pope, project manager at National Highways, admitted the exact way forward was unclear.

"The bridge is safe - the issue we have is, as part of the inspection we did two years ago, we take out sample of wires that are then sent out for testing," he said.

"And it's those testing results, a very small percentage, that have come back lower. "

"To ensure we have plenty of safety factors on the bridge, unfortunately we have to reduce that loading and the only way is to reduce the weight of the HGVs on there."

A motion was passed at a full council meeting at Monmouthshire Council earlier this month calling for urgent action to address the potential knock-on impact.

"We are going to be stuck with this impact for a very long time, impacting both residents and businesses in the local area," said Lisa Dymock, Conservative councillor for the Portskewett ward.

"I think we will see businesses shut  - there are some well-known distribution centres in the area and as soon as a premises comes up across the bridge, I can see them going elsewhere which takes jobs away."

"The M48 is one of the main arteries into Wales and it will impact our local economy," she added.

Highways Agency has said it will delay some planned works to the eastbound section of the Prince of Wales Bridge but ongoing works to the westbound direction will continue until early July.