M4 to be closed overnight for landslide repairs

6 hours ago

Holly RattleyWiltshire

Work is needed to stabilise 600 metres (1,968 ft) of embankment alongside the M4 in Wiltshire

National Highways The extent of the land slippage on the eastbound edge of the M4 in Wiltshire - a wide crater next to the barriers of the motorway. — Work is needed to stabilise 600 metres (1,968 ft) of embankment alongside the M4 in Wiltshire

Overnight closures and a 50mph speed limit are to be put in place on the M4 so an embankment and hard shoulder damaged by a landslide can be repaired.

National Highways is set to begin stabilising 600 metres (1968 ft) of earth alongside the motorway in Wiltshire after the landslide made the hard shoulder unusable eastbound to Swindon.

The works are part of a larger bridge refurbishment scheme between junctions 16 for Swindon West, Royal Wootton Bassett and 17 for Chippenham.

National Highways Route Manage Chris Hilldrup said the £20m investment was a "significant engineering undertaking" to "maintain the safety and reliability" of the busy route for the future.

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Contractors MJ Church are set to move about 25,000 tonnes of earth before back filling with 19,500 tonnes of stone, locally sourced from a nearby quarry, to restore the embankment and hard shoulder.

Once the embankment has been repaired, National Highways said it will - beginning in the autumn of 2027 - begin work to restore four motorway bridges which carry the M4 over two roads at Brinkworth and Grittenham, the Swindon to Bristol railway line and a farm access road.

Hilldrup said: "Many of the roads and bridges we manage were built around 60 years ago and are nearing the end of their life span, so we're acting now and renewing them to prevent bigger problems further down the line."

The Park Ground Farm bridge near Royal Wootton Bassett is set to be repaired next year

National Highways Exposed and rusting steel reinforcement on the Park Ground Farm bridge deck on the M4 near Chippenham amd Royal Wootton Bassett. — The Park Ground Farm bridge near Royal Wootton Bassett is set to be repaired next year

Ahead of the embankment and hard shoulder repair work, overnight closures westbound from 20:00 GMT to 06:00 GMT will be put in place on 12 and 13 November to install traffic management.

HGVs will be diverted via Cirencester and Malmesbury, while other vehicles will use separate diversion routes.

Two lanes will also be running under 50mph speed restrictions until 17 February.

National Highways said train services would be unaffected by the bridge repairs.

Deteriorating concrete is due to be repaired on the Hookers Gate bridge near Royal Wootton Bassett next year

National Highways Deteriorating concrete on the Hookers Gate bridge on the M4 near Royal Wootton Bassett. — Deteriorating concrete is due to be repaired on the Hookers Gate bridge near Royal Wootton Bassett next year

Hilldrup said: "We're doing everything we can to minimise disruption, by keeping lanes running in each direction for the first phase, which will only add an extra two minutes to people's journey times.

"We appreciate roadworks can impact on people's journeys, and in the meantime, we advise people to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys through the works."

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