M48 Severn Bridge between England and Wales closed due to high winds as drivers warned of delays via alternative Prince of Wales Bridge route

The Severn bridge has been closed to traffic due to high winds.

Drivers are facing delays after the closure of the normally-busy route, which comes after winds reached mid-40mph in nearby areas. The Prince of Wales Bridge has remained opened, due to the newer structure having barriers on either side.

National Highways explained: "During windy conditions the Severn Estuary can funnel strong gusts across the bridges, which can be hazardous to traffic. The M4 Prince of Wales Bridge has barriers which reduce the effects of these gusts. However, the older design of the M48 Severn Bridge didn’t include these barriers, and we sometimes need to restrict access to the Severn Bridge for the safety of our road users. When this happens, traffic is diverted on to the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge."

It continued: "We use dedicated forecasts and monitoring equipment on the bridge, which are more useful than forecasts found in the media and wind speeds measured in neighbouring communities. When we expect gusts above 40 knots (46mph), we close the Severn Bridge to all traffic until the wind speeds have dropped. If wind speeds exceed 70 knots (80mph), both bridges are closed. Traffic can still travel between England and Wales by following a diversion using the M5, M50, A40 and A449."

Driver are being advised to add time onto their journey while the bridge remains closed. The South West Regional Operations Centre will monitor wind speed throughout the day and the bridge will be re-opened when declare safe to do so.