A MAJOR link road is set to close for the next five nights, wreaking havoc for motorists.
The A369 Portbury Hundreds, outside Bristol, is the link road between junction 19 of the M5 and the town of Portishead in Somerset.
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It will be cordoned off from 8pm to 6am every day until this Saturday – between the Sheepway roundabout and M5 junction.
North Somerset Council confirmed the closure is due to “electrical cabling works”.
It issued the order because of the “likelihood of danger to the public” caused by previous road works completed by National Highways.
The order allows the repairs to persist for a maximum of 18 months – though they are currently only expected to last this week.
A diversion will be put in place during the hours the road is closed.
This 18-mile diversion, starting at the Sheepway roundabout, will force drivers to pass through Clevedon and Failand – compared to the usual couple of miles.
A 40-mile-an-hour speed limit will be in place on one section of the diversion due to existing road works.
The closure will exclude emergency services, work access and work vehicles.
This Wednesday, 25 September, Weir Lane – which drivers may have been looking to take as a shortcut – will also be closed from 7pm to 6am the following morning.
The closure, which is to allow Openreach to access joint boxes for telephone cables, will be between the junction of the B3129 and Manor Road.
The news comes amid a series of other closures on the M5, used by 130,000 vehicles daily, over the next six months.
The closures will affect a stretch in Devon – with motorists urged to play their journeys ahead.
A National Highways spokesperson said: “By closing the road and installing a contraflow, we can get this essential repair work done safely and quickly.”
Full list of planned closures and diversions on the M5
Monday September 16 to Tuesday October 1 – overnight lane closures on the M5 around junction 27 (Tiverton) between 8.30pm and 6am each night. At least one lane will remain open in each direction.
Wednesday October 2 & Thursday October 3 – the M5 will be closed southbound between junction 26 (Wellington) and junction 28 (Cullumpton) between 8.30pm and 6am each night. Traffic will be diverted via the A38 & B3181.
Friday October 4 & Saturday October 5 – the M5 will be closed northbound between junction 28 (Cullumpton) and junction 26 (Wellington) between 8.30pm and 6am each night. Traffic will be diverted via the B3181 & A38.
Saturday October 5 to Thursday October 24 – from 6.00am on Saturday 5 October, a lane will be closed on the northbound M5 around junction 27. Three lanes will be open southbound, with traffic using the hard shoulder.
Friday October 25 to Monday November 4 – three lanes will be open in each direction over half term. Traffic will use the hard shoulder in both directions while we work in the middle of the road.
Tuesday November 5 to Friday November 15 – the southbound M5 will be closed between junctions 26 (Wellington) and 28 (Cullumpton) from 8.30pm to 6am each night. A diversion will be in place via the A38 and the B3181.
