A damaged bridge near Bristol that has been closed to road traffic for nearly two years is set to be demolished next month. The A432 Badminton Road overbridge, which crosses over the M4 in South Gloucestershire, is set to be demolished between Friday, March 21 and Monday, March 24.
The bridge, which connects Bristol to Yate, was inspected in 2023 where it revealed that the concrete was cracking and there was damage to the post-tensioning system. Due to the condition of the damaged bridge, it was closed to road traffic.
A permanent new bridge has been designed and the 20-metre bridge is set to be built over the coming year. South Gloucestershire Council and National Highways confirmed that the project remains on-time.
The new bridge is hoped to open in March 2026. In the meantime, there will be no temporary bridge in place.
The existing bridge, which was built in 1966, will be demolished on the weekend of March 21 as the M4 will close for a 60-hour period, re-opening on Monday morning. The bridge will be demolished, starting with the edges, before working inwards and eventually workers will allow the bridge to collapse onto the M4.
Two weeks before the bridge is demolished, current pedestrian and cycle access on the bridge will be removed. This is due to work to remove asbestos in piping in the bridge.
According to the National Highways website, following the demolition, the new bridge will begin construction in April. However, residents and businesses have slammed the disruptions which the bridge has brought since initially closing in July 2023.