Essential bridge maintenance work continues on M5 junctions 10-11 near Gloucester
Road users are advised that essential bridge maintenance work on the M5 between Junctions 10 and 11 will require narrow lanes to be put in place on both carriageways from next Monday, March 3.
A 50 mph speed limit will also be required for the safety of workers and road users on a three quarter of a mile section around Staverton Hayden Bridge near Gloucester.
The work, which involves strengthening the foundations of the bridge, is being undertaken as part of a comprehensive package of bridge safety improvements and maintenance to benefit road users on the M5 near Gloucester.
Highways Agency Service Delivery Team Leader, Dave Sledge said:
Staverton Hayden is the second of four bridges we are working on during this 18 month programme and while extensive work is needed to the foundations we have planned this scheme carefully so we can keep three lanes open in both directions at all times.
All the work we are undertaking is essential to prolong the life of the bridges and while we appreciate it is a very full programme undertaking a number of schemes at the same time significantly reduces the overall disruption to road users.
We will be publicising developments at every stage using media releases and our website.
We have also set up a dedicated Facebook page so members of the public can find out more about how the work is being undertaken and keep updated on the progress of the schemes.
Work on the four bridges between Junctions 10 and 12 will continue until March 2015 and includes strengthening work on the foundations of three bridges and a deck replacement, resurfacing and waterproofing on the fourth bridge.
The foundations of three bridges, including Staverton Hayden, have been attacked by thaumasite, which is a severe form of sulphate attack and can reduce affected concrete to a soft crumbly material. A number of bridges in the Gloucester area are known to suffer from this and the Highways Agency is managing the repair of these over a number of years.
The work on these three bridges includes exposing the foundations and repairing the areas affected by thaumasite. To keep the bridges safe during the work, extra support will be installed to the bridge decks.
The first phase of the programme began in January with work to replace the bridge deck at Gloucester Painswick Bridge between junctions 11a and 12. A contraflow arrangement is in place until the end of March with two lanes northbound and southbound in operation.
More details will be publicised when further works start on Stroud Road Brookthorpe between Junction 11a and 12 at the end of March.
Members of the public can find out more about the scheme by visiting the Highways Agency website or via the new Facebook page.