A432 bridge over M4 to stay shut until at least December

Cracks were found on the south-east underside of the bridge, which was built in 1966

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.

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."

Night-time lane closures on the motorway are now in place for the inspections.

Teams are identifying potential defects using digital scanning and then drilling into the structure to check the condition of the post-tensioning system.

The spokesperson explained further investigation and assessment would "take time to complete" during which the structure would remain closed to traffic.

Monitoring

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

Council leader Claire Young explained officers had been onsite daily, "through the morning and evening peak", to monitor usage and queueing.

"The team meets daily to discuss observations and has started to consider what mitigations are required now and in September when schools return after the summer break."