Motorway bridge to undergo £50m repair project

6 hours ago

Marcus BootheBristol

News image — Work on the M5 St Georges Bridge near Weston-super-Mare will start in early June

National Highways Wooden planks have been added to the bottom of a bridge. The wooden planks have been shaped into a box. The boxes have small green poles supporting their shape. A high-vis jacket and a yellow bucket have been left on the construction site. — Work on the M5 St Georges Bridge near Weston-super-Mare will start in early June

More than £50m will be invested by National Highways to ensure a motorway bridge is "fit for the future".

St Georges Bridge, on the M5 near junction 21 for Weston-super-Mare, will undergo "extensive and essential repairs" to strengthen its foundations. The structure will be lifted at least 72 times to replace bearings that allow for movement in the bridge.

Work starts in June and three lanes will remain open in both directions during the project which is set to be completed by 2030.

Terry Robinson, engineering lead for National Highways, said: "This complex scheme may cause some delays in the area and we're advising road users to allow extra time for journeys, especially during peak hours."

He added that many motorways were built 60 years ago and needed to be renewed for the next generation.

The works will also include new sections and parapets being added to the bridge, as well as resurfacing and improvements to the northbound entry slip road.

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National Highways This picture was taken underneath the M5 bridge. The concrete underneath the bridge appears worn away. There is a red and white low barricade in front of the damaged concrete. — More than £50m will be invested to ensure the bridge is "fit for the future"

St Georges Bridge carries M5 traffic over a railway line near junction 21 and National Highways said trains would be able to continue to run below "thanks to close working with Network Rail".

The programme is part of the government's £27bn five-year Road Investment Strategy. About £8.4bn was allocated for resurfacing carriageways and renewing bridges between 2026 and 2031.

National Highways said that three narrow lanes would be introduced with a contraflow and a 50mph limit.

Although the road will be open during the day and at weekends, there will be overnight closures.

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