National Highways has announced a bridge over the M4 motorway near Bristol will be demolished next year.
The A432 Badminton Road overbridge, which links Bristol with Yate, has been closed since June after cracks were spotted in the structure.
After a detailed inspection, National Highways have decided to replace the 20-metre-wide bridge with a new one instead carrying out repairs.
They say both strengthening or refurbishing “would take a similar amount of time to complete as a full replacement of the structure, but would only extend the bridge’s lifespan for a limited time.”
The current bridge will remain closed until its demolition next summer or autumn. Timescales and costs mean National Highways will not be able to install a temporary bridge during the replacement.
Sean Walsh, Route Manager for National Highways, said: “Safety is our number one priority, and our extensive and detailed investigations show that we now need to demolish and replace the bridge.
“We fully understand the disruption the closure has and will cause, and we thank people for their patience as we move this project forward as soon as possible.”
The A432 overbridge is a major road between Bristol and South Gloucestershire and was built in 1966.
