Community 'cut off' by M4 bridge closure

Business owners say the three-year closure of a main road bridge due to emergency repair work has left them "totally cut off".

The A432 Badminton Road bridge over the M4 in South Gloucestershire used to take around 16,000 vehicles a day between Yate and Bristol.

It was closed immediately by National Highways last July when cracking and deterioration were found during a routine inspection. It is scheduled to re-open in 2026.

National Highways, which is in charge of the project, said it is working with South Gloucestershire Council to manage the impact.

The bridge is located off the A4174 Wick Wick roundabout and connects the villages of Frampton Cotterell, Winterbourne and Coalpit Heath with Downend and Emersons Green.

While the bridge is closed, traffic is being diverted onto Westerleigh Road via Henfield Road.

Nearby businesses said the closure is having a devastating impact on them and they have lost most of their passing trade.

Kevin Brewer has been selling breakfast rolls for 30 years on Badminton Road and said he has never seen it this quiet.

“I got through Covid. During those times people came to me because everything was shut. I was the place to come," he said.

“But now, with the bridge closed, nobody makes that two-minute diversion to come and see me.

"It’s hard on business, I’m a good 50 percent down on what I would normally be on a day-to-day basis. It’s the passing trade that I have lost. It's left us feeling cut off.

“It hasn’t gone down the drain but I am really struggling now.

"If I had a mortgage my business would have been crushed, done. I'd be finished.”

Deborah Roddick works as an assistant at Viaduct Café, also on Badminton Road.

She said "her heart sank" when they were told the bridge was closing last year.

“As soon as we found out we were like, oh my god,” Ms Roddick said.

“The café was quite busy at the time, there were lots of people, outside here in the summer it was so rammed you couldn’t move.

"It went from that overnight to nothing.”

She said they have lost around 70 percent of their customers, and have even had to lay off staff.

“Before the bridge shut we used to have up in the eighties coming in. On a Friday you couldn’t even count the amount of people.

"Now we probably get between 25 and 30 people during the week if we’re lucky.

“Some of the staff that were here before, we just couldn’t keep them, we don’t have the hours to give them.

"If you’re not taking the money, you can’t pay them.”

National Highways said the bridge, which was due to be demolished this Autumn, now won't be removed until March 2025.

The government agency said this is because the amount of time needed for construction has been reduced, which means the current bridge can stay open to pedestrians and cyclists for longer.

Timeline of work

• Bridge closed – July 2023
• Bridge design – December 2023 - ongoing
• Environmental surveys – December 2023 – February 2024
• Ground investigation – December 2023 – February 2024
• Demolition of existing bridge – March 2025
• Construction of new bridge – March 2025 – early 2026

National Highways said in a statement: “Safety is our number one priority, and our extensive and detailed investigations showed that we needed to demolish and replace the bridge, with work on detailed design currently taking place for the replacement.

“This is a complex process and we are working with partners to expedite the process as quickly as possible.

“We fully understand the disruption the closure has and will cause, and we thank people for their patience as we move this project forward as soon as possible.

“We will continue to work with South Gloucestershire Council to help manage the impact of the closure and to progress with the bridge replacement.”

South Gloucestershire Council said it understands the frustrations felt by residents and businesses affected by the bridge closure.

The council said in a statement: “Although we are not responsible for the closure, we have been working hard to minimise disruption wherever we can.

"We’ve hosted public drop-in sessions so residents and businesses owners could voice their concerns and ask advice.

“Signs have been installed to make it clear businesses are open as usual, and our business development officers have been available to provide advice and guidance to those affected.”

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