Drivers face severe disruption on a major motorway route to Southwest England after an infrastructure emergency forced the closure of three lanes. The M5 northbound Avonmouth Bridge between Junction 19 (Portishead) and Junction 18 (Bristol) requires emergency road surface repairs due to a structural defect.
National Highways discovered the infrastructure problem during peak summer holiday traffic, when thousands of families travel to Devon and Cornwall. The emergency repairs cannot be delayed due to safety concerns.
National Highways South West said: "There are now SEVERE delays of over two hours and eight miles of congestion on the M5 northbound in Somerset. This is due to three lanes which are closed on the Avonmouth Bridge between J19 (Portishead) and J18 (Bristol) for emergency road surface repairs. Allow plenty of extra time."
Delays exceed two hours
Traffic queues now stretch up to 14 miles with delays exceeding two hours for northbound drivers. The closure affects one of the busiest holiday routes in England during the peak summer travel period.
Inrix said: "Long delays, queueing traffic and three lanes closed due to emergency repairs on M5 Avonmouth Bridge northbound from J19 A369 Martcombe Road (Portishead) to J18 M49. Congestion to J20 (Clevedon)." Only bristolpost.co.uk reports that the incident escalated from an initial two-lane closure with 30-40 minute delays to the current three-lane closure.
Regional network affected
The congestion now extends beyond the immediate closure area, affecting the broader regional road network as drivers seek alternative routes. Only WalesOnline reports that traffic backing up reaches Junction 20 (Clevedon), demonstrating the wide-reaching impact of the emergency repairs.
The timing proves particularly challenging as the incident coincides with the busiest weekend of the summer holidays. Many families use this route as the primary access to popular holiday destinations in Southwest England.
Sources used: "Mirror", "bristolpost.co.uk", "WalesOnline", "Express", "Inrix", "National Highways"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
