Major roadworks for M4 and M5

A SIX-mile section of the M4 and M5 around the Almondsbury Interchange will be subject to roadworks for the rest of the year.

National Highways is replacing four miles of steel crash barriers around the Almondsbury Interchange with concrete and is also building three new emergency areas, upgrading traffic signs, adding CCTV cameras, renewing lighting and carrying out drainage work as part of the improvement plan.

The work is due to start at the end of February and finish towards the end of the year.

A reduced speed limit of 50mph, temporary 24/7 roadworks CCTV monitoring and a free recovery service will be in place while work is being carried out.

The government agency says the work will be "closely coordinated" with forthcoming work to refurbish two bridges on the M5 between the M4 and A38 junctions.

Paul Unwin, who is overseeing the upgrades for National Highways, said: “Safety is our number one priority. Upgrading these barriers will improve journeys and significantly reduce the risk of vehicles crossing over from one carriageway to another, improving safety and reducing the duration of incident-related congestion.

“During the work we will do all we can to keep disruption to a minimum, but we expect that delays could be severe at peak times, so we are encouraging drivers to plan their journeys to avoid peak times if possible. Getting it done at this time of year means the concrete can set just right and the contractors have a longer working window with more light.”

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