M4 closures impacting travel between Bristol & South Wales - which roads are closed and what time?

Motorists are being impacted by widespread road closures on main routes between Bristol and Cardiff this week due to major roadworks. Parts of the M4, M48 and M49 will all see closures as part of the secod phase of the scheme - triggering a diversion of up to 100 miles for drivers of larger vehicles.

Which roads will be affected by the closures?

These road will be affected by the closures:

• The M4 eastbound between junction 23A for Magor and junction 22 for Pilning
• The M49 on the Bristol side of the new Severn Bridge
• The M48 eastbound from the point where it splits from the M4 at Magor, all the way to junction two at Chepstow

When will the roads be closed?

The roads will be closed completely between 8pm and 6am every night on Wednesday (May 31) and Thursday (June 1) this week up until the morning of June 2. The M48 closure is to prevent access to the roadworks area on the M4, according to Highways Wales.

Drivers heading from South Wales to Bristol on the M4 will be diverted off the motorway and be directed along the A48 to Chepstow, instead and back onto the M48 to go over the old Severn Bridge. But drivers of any vehicle over 15ft high such as lorries, trucks, and double-decker buses will be taken on a much longer diversion, up the M50 to Gloucestershire and back down the M5 - a trip of up to 100 miles.

The diversion will also affect the M49 from the Prince of Wales Bridge to Avonmouth, with no traffic travelling across the bridge and all drivers instead heading down the M5 towards Avonmouth. Highways Wales said they are carrying out “essential works to carriageway patch repairs at various locations’”.

This is the second phase of work in the scheme. The westbound side was completed with three overnight closures last week.