Severn Bridge, Chepstow, Monmouthshire. Now FREE to use as tolls were scrapped at the end of 2018

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Brief description

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severn_Bridge "The Severn Bridge (Welsh: Pont Hafren) is a motorway suspension bridge that spans the River Severn between South Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in South East Wales. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and Wales, and took three and a half years to build,[7] at a cost of £8 million.[8] It replaced the 137-year-old Aust Ferry.

The bridge was opened in 1966 by Queen Elizabeth II.[9] For thirty years, the bridge carried the M4 motorway. It was granted Grade I listed status in 1999.[10]

Following the completion of the Prince of Wales Bridge, the section of motorway from Olveston in England to Magor in Wales was designated the M48.

The Severn Bridge is located close to the former Aust Ferry. The bridge is a suspension bridge of conventional design, with the deck supported by two main cables slung between two steel towers. In 1966 the cables supporting the bridge deck were spun from 18,000 miles (29,000 km) of wire.[13] The main cables are each made up of 8,322 individual 5 mm (3⁄16 in) wires.[25] 

An unusual feature of the suspension cables carrying the deck is that they are not vertical, as for most suspension bridges, but rather arranged in a zig-zag fashion, with adjacent mounts closely spaced. The triangulation this offers is an attempt to reduce vibration, as is the use of Stockbridge dampers on the cables. The bridge is 5,240 ft (1,600 m) long, consisting of a 3,240 ft (988 m) central span between the towers and the two 1,000 ft (305 m) side spans. The towers rise to 445 ft (136 m) above mean high water and are of hollow box construction.[26] The deck is an orthotropic steel box girder of aerofoil shape with cantilevered cycle tracks and footway supported from the box.

The shape of the bridge was determined by the designers Freeman, Fox and Partners following wind tunnel tests for the Forth Road Bridge, after the original wind tunnel model was accidentally destroyed. The sections of the deck were built at Fairfield-Mabey in Chepstow, and each 132 tonne section was then floated down the river before being hoisted into position.[27]

In July 2017, the Welsh Secretary, Alun Cairns, announced that tolls would be abolished by the end of 2018, claiming that this would boost the South Wales economy by around £100m a year.[38] In September 2017, Cairns confirmed that tolls would be reduced in January 2018 when VAT is removed.[39] In October 2018 he said that the Severn Bridge tolls would cease on 17 December 2018.[40] 

On 17 December 2018, all toll lanes were permanently closed, officially marking the start of a toll-free journey into Wales for the first time since the bridge's construction. During the removal process of the toll booths, traffic was directed through a temporary three-lane layout, directly through the centre of the former toll lanes. These lanes were narrower than usual, resulting in a 50 mph speed limit being enforced. On 25 March 2019, a newly resurfaced road structure was opened, moving traffic flow from the centre of the former toll lanes to the right-hand side, directly next to eastbound traffic. This will allow for further work to remove any remaining toll infrastructure to the left of the new road layout.[41] "

Address

Severn Bridge, Chepstow NP16 5GF

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Website

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severn_Bridge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Severn_Crossing

https://nationalhighways.co.uk/travel-updates/the-severn-bridges/

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Open at all times.

Now FREE to use as tolls were scrapped at the end of 2018

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