Part of M5 to shut for weekend bridge demolitions

Two pedestrian bridges over the M5 will be demolished next month due to their crumbling edge beams.

The M5 will be fully closed between junction 11 (Cheltenham) and junction 12 (Gloucester) from 23:00 on Friday, 16 October until 06:00 BST on 19 October, said National Highways.

Grove Court and Uphill Court bridges, which are between the two junctions, were closed in March for safety reasons, and will be taken down. The replacements will be constructed at a later date.

National Highways route manager Ewan Greenhill said: "Like many of our motorways and structures, the bridges have exceeded their structural lifespan, and replacing them will ensure the safety of road users."

A diversion will be in place via the A38 through Gloucester, the A40 Cheltenham to Gloucester road and the A417.

Greenhill added: "We appreciate the weekend closure will have impacts for the travelling public, [and] we thank people in advance for their patience."

To create a construction compound, the Junction 11A northbound exit slip road will be closed for a week from Sunday, 11 October, ahead of the weekend demolition, and for a week following.

The two bridges will be dismantled by high-reach excavators, with 440 tonnes of concrete and 14 tonnes of steel tendons removed from the carriageway before the road reopens on the Monday morning, said road bosses.

National Highways said the timings of the closures were carefully planned to not exacerbate existing roadworks on the A40 at Over and to allow rugby fans to get to Gloucester Rugby's Kingsholm Stadium for their European Champions Cup match against Bordeaux-Begles.

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