Motorists in south Wales face major disruption this week with a number of M4 closures and a planned fuel protest set to take place. Police are preparing for "serious disruption" on the Prince of Wales Bridge due to a planned protest against soaring fuel costs on Monday, July 4, with the road expected to be blocked in both directions.
Drivers have been advised by Gwent Police to work from home where possible and avoid the area between 7am and 7pm, with protestors planning to block parts of the road between M4 Magor services, junction 23A eastbound, and Junction 20 of the M4 between those hours.
Officers from both Gwent Police and Avon and Somerset Police will be in attendance at the protest to ensure it is carried out in line with the law. Plans are also being made with emergency and critical services to reduce disruption, and Bristol Airport has issued a warning urging travellers to allow extra time if heading to or from the airport.
Read more: Police warning of severe disruption from M4 Severn Bridge protest
The protest is likely to cause disruption to traffic in other areas, with Bridgend County Borough councillor Amanda Williams writing on social media that the council has advised that the M4 on junction 36 for Sarn and junction 47 Penllergaer is likely to be affected.
The protest takes place along with several closures at junctions along the M4 over the coming week due to maintenance work, with commuters in Cardiff, Newport and Bristol among others all likely to be impacted.
Closures along parts of the M4 are common and are required in order for maintenance and roadworks to take place. They normally take place between late at night and early morning in order to minimise inconvenience for motorists, and are scheduled routinely throughout the year.
The latest travel disruption comes following the closure of the Severn Bridge for a second consecutive weekend, as well as the Severn Tunnel rain line which will be out of use until July 10 due to essential work. Motorists will be unable to cross the M48 Severn Bridge until 6am on Monday as it is undergoing essential work for eight months. The bridge was first shut last weekend as painstaking work to repair and replace corroded suspension cables began. Traffic on the bridge is likely to be very heavy on Monday due to the fuel protest.
Two railway lines between Cardiff and Pontypridd are also set to be closed for nearly a week as major engineering work takes place. From Saturday, July 2, until Friday, July 8 the railway lines from Cardiff Central to Radyr (via Fairwater) and from Radyr to Pontypridd will be closed to trains. Bus replacement services will be in operation while the lines are closed, with Transport for Wales telling passengers to check for the latest information on services before they travel. You can read more about the travel chaos in Wales here.
Here are all the additional planned road closures around the M4 and M48 for the week starting Monday, July 4.
- M48 junction one to junction two: The M48 between junction one Aust and junction two Newhouse will be closed until 6am on Monday, July 4 due to maintenance work taking place.
- M4 junction 44 to junction 43: the M4 between junction 44 Lon Las to junction 43 Llandarcy will be temporarily shut next week to facilitate electrical work. The closure will be in place between July 5 at 8pm until July 6 at 6am, when the road will reopen.
- M48 junction two to junction one: The M48 between junction two Newhouse and junction one Aust will be closed between 7pm on July 5 and 6am on July 6. This is in order for maintenance work to be carried out.
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