Latest news with #M&JTransport
Scottish Sun
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Busy bridge used by over 30,000 drivers a day CLOSES to heavy vehicles next month in ‘devastating move'
Truck drivers worry that the move could cause "immense" damage to their business, especially if the alternative bridge is closed SHUT DOWN Busy bridge used by over 30,000 drivers a day CLOSES to heavy vehicles next month in 'devastating move' A MAJOR route into Wales will ban heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in a move drivers say will cost them 'immensely.' The M48 River Severn Bridge will ban vehicles over 7.5 tonnes for 18 months from 27 May after cables supporting the historic structure were found to be deteriorating. 3 The Severn Bridge at sunset- built in 1966 it was not designed to take the weight of modern HGVs Credit: Getty 3 An areal photo of the two bridges in 2006 Credit: Getty - Contributor Instead, they will be forced to make a lengthy detour via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge, which a director of a Haulage company warned was unreliable. National Highways has claimed it has 'no choice' but to block the heaviest trucks as its main priority is to protect public safety. But James Burton, director of M&J Transport, told BBC Radio Bristol that the impact on his industry could be 'devastating.' He argued that if the proposed alternative, the Prince of Wales bridge, shut down due to bad weather or a crash it woud it would completely cut off HGVS from the Severn crossing. He said: "They've not put any plans or any thought into what's going to happen when it gets busy in the summer, or if there's any closures. The cost to the industry and the cost to us personally would be immense," he said. Chris Pope, from National Highways, said that if they didn't ban HGVs, they would be forced to close it completely. He said: 'We want to keep the bridge running for people, but the solution we have found is that we've managed to keep it open for 90% of people. "It is safe, it's all about loading, and unfortunately, we are in a position where about 85% of the loading that the main suspension cables are carrying is actually the bridge itself." Caroline Tovey of Richard Tovery Transport pointed out that the new route already forces drivers on a 14-mile detour. 3 The bridge supports the M48 from Gloucestershire to Wales Credit: Alamy She added that some areas may find "large vehicles being rerouted through their communities". "It isn't just about the money, it's about infrastructure that isn't used to (HGVs)." Claire Young, MP for Thornbury and Yate, told the BBC it would cost between £300million to £600million to strengthen the bridge to take the current load of HGVs. She argues that the infrastructure dates to the sixties, and that vehicles and traffic have got heavier. She said: "It has the potential to really impact the local economy. The government says its top priority is growth. If we are going to have that, we need the infrastructure to support it."
The Sun
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Busy bridge used by over 30,000 drivers a day CLOSES to heavy vehicles next month in ‘devastating move'
A MAJOR route into Wales will ban heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in a move drivers say will cost them 'immensely.' The M48 River Severn Bridge will ban vehicles over 7.5 tonnes for 18 months from 27 May after cables supporting the historic structure were found to be deteriorating. 3 3 Instead, they will be forced to make a lengthy detour via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge, which a director of a Haulage company warned was unreliable. National Highways has claimed it has 'no choice' but to block the heaviest trucks as its main priority is to protect public safety. But James Burton, director of M&J Transport, told BBC Radio Bristol that the impact on his industry could be 'devastating.' He argued that if the proposed alternative, the Prince of Wales bridge, shut down due to bad weather or a crash it woud it would completely cut off HGVS from the Severn crossing. He said: "They've not put any plans or any thought into what's going to happen when it gets busy in the summer, or if there's any closures. The cost to the industry and the cost to us personally would be immense," he said. Chris Pope, from National Highways, said that if they didn't ban HGVs, they would be forced to close it completely. He said: 'We want to keep the bridge running for people, but the solution we have found is that we've managed to keep it open for 90% of people. "It is safe, it's all about loading, and unfortunately, we are in a position where about 85% of the loading that the main suspension cables are carrying is actually the bridge itself." Caroline Tovey of Richard Tovery Transport pointed out that the new route already forces drivers on a 14-mile detour. 3 She added that some areas may find "large vehicles being rerouted through their communities". "It isn't just about the money, it's about infrastructure that isn't used to (HGVs)." Claire Young, MP for Thornbury and Yate, told the BBC it would cost between £300million to £600million to strengthen the bridge to take the current load of HGVs. She argues that the infrastructure dates to the sixties, and that vehicles and traffic have got heavier. She said: "It has the potential to really impact the local economy. The government says its top priority is growth. If we are going to have that, we need the infrastructure to support it."
The Irish Sun
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Busy bridge used by over 30,000 drivers a day CLOSES to heavy vehicles next month in ‘devastating move'
A MAJOR route into Wales will ban heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in a move drivers say will cost them 'immensely.' The M48 River Severn Bridge will ban vehicles over 7.5 tonnes for 18 months from 27 May after cables supporting the historic structure were found to be deteriorating. 3 The Severn Bridge at sunset- built in 1966 it was not designed to take the weight of modern HGVs Credit: Getty 3 An areal photo of the two bridges in 2006 Credit: Getty - Contributor Instead, they will be forced to make a lengthy detour via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge, which a director of a Haulage company warned was unreliable. National Highways has claimed it has 'no choice' but to block the heaviest trucks as its main priority is to protect public safety. But James Burton, director of M&J Transport, told BBC Radio Bristol that the impact on his industry could be 'devastating.' He argued that if the proposed alternative, the Prince of Wales bridge, shut down due to bad weather or a crash it woud it would completely cut off HGVS from the Severn crossing. Read more He said: "They've not put any plans or any thought into what's going to happen when it gets busy in the summer, or if there's any closures. The cost to the industry and the cost to us personally would be immense," he said. Chris Pope, from National Highways, said that if they didn't ban HGVs, they would be forced to close it completely. He said: 'We want to keep the bridge running for people, but the solution we have found is that we've managed to keep it open for 90% of people. "It is safe, it's all about loading, and unfortunately, we are in a position where about 85% of the loading that the main suspension cables are carrying is actually the bridge itself." Caroline Tovey of Richard Tovery Transport pointed out that the new route already forces drivers on a 14-mile detour. Most read in Motors 3 The bridge supports the M48 from Gloucestershire to Wales Credit: Alamy She added that some areas may find "large vehicles being rerouted through their communities". "It isn't just about the money, it's about infrastructure that isn't used to (HGVs)." Claire Young, MP for Thornbury and Yate, told the BBC it would cost between £300million to £600million to strengthen the bridge to take the current load of HGVs. She argues that the infrastructure dates to the sixties, and that vehicles and traffic have got heavier. She said: "It has the potential to really impact the local economy. The government says its top priority is growth. If we are going to have that, we need the infrastructure to support it."
BBC News
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Closing M48 Severn Bridge to HGVs 'devastating' for hauliers
Hauliers say that a decision to ban heavy goods vehicles from the M48 Severn Bridge could be "devastating" for their ban will come into force for at least 18 months from 27 May after National Highways discovered the cables supporting the structure are deteriorating.A director of an Avonmouth-based haulage company warned the alternative route into Wales via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge is not always reliable, and drivers could be forced to take lengthy detours around Highways said it has "no choice" but to impose weight limits in the interest of public safety, and that it was looking for a long-term solution to allow HGVs to return "in a controlled manner". It is currently proposing a "technological solution" that will manage the flow of HGVs over the bridge to prevent overloading it. Jamie Burton, director of M&J Transport, told BBC Radio Bristol the impact of the Prince of Wales Bridge shutting due to a a crash or poor weather "would be devastating" once HGVs can no longer use the Severn crossing."They've not put any plans or any thought into what's going to happen when it gets busy in the summer, or if there's any closures. The cost to the industry and the cost to us personally would be immense," he Tovey of Richard Tovey Transport pointed out that even when the Prince of Wales Bridge is open, it still adds a 14-mile detour onto journeys. She added some areas may find "large vehicles being rerouted through their communities"."It isn't just about the money, it's about infrastructure that isn't used to (HGVs)."Claire Young, Liberal Democrat MP for Thornbury and Yate, said it could cost between £300m and £600m to augment the bridge so it can continue carrying its current load. "All this infrastructure was put in at the same time in the 60s, it's now ageing, we are seeing problems," she said."It has the potential to really impact the local economy. The government says its top priority is growth. If we are going to have that, we need the infrastructure to support it."Chris Pope, from National Highways, said the agency had no choice but to temporarily ban HGVs from the bridge."We want to keep the bridge running for people but the solution that we have found is that we've managed to keep it open for 90% of people," he said. "It is safe, it's all about loading and unfortunately we are in a position where about 85% of the loading that the main suspension cables are carrying is actually the bridge itself."Mr Pope added that National Highways was looking for a solution that will allow HGVs to return "in a controlled manner so we don't overload the bridge".
