Second Severn Crossing (Prince of Wales Bridge) Refurbishment
Between South Gloucestershire, England and Monmouthshire, Wales, UK · Ongoing (resurfacing started 2022, expected to continue into summer 2025)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchResurfacing project extended due to unforeseen construction challenges, highlighting the complexity of bridge maintenance. - Continuous maintenance and refurbishment are essential for the longevity and safety of major infrastructure assets. - The importance of robust and durable waterproofing layers in bridge deck construction.
Key engineering challenges
Difficulty removing existing waterproof layer during resurfacing. - Adverse weather conditions impacting work schedule. - Maintaining traffic flow on a critical motorway crossing during extensive works. - Addressing structural issues and corrosion on a large cable-stayed bridge.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- National Highways
- Lead contractor
- —
- Lead designers
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- Project type
- refurbishment | upgrade
- Scale
- 5.2 km crossing of the Severn Estuary; 0.9 km cable-stayed bridge
- Disciplines
- Civil; Structural; Materials; Geotechnical
- Standards & frameworks
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Sources: National Highways: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/travel-updates/the-severn-bridges/ - BBC News (2024): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd0ezr7x703o - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Wales_Bridge - National Highways (resurfacing): https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-west/m4-prince-of-wales-bridge-resurfacing/ - Parliamentary Written Evidence: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/66930/html/