Major motorway will see closures ALL weekend so workers can ‘repaint a bridge’ sparking chaos for millions
A MAJOR motorway will be closed this weekend for roadworks sparking travel chaos.
The westbound M4 between junction 11 for Reading and junction 12 for Theale closed at 9pm on Friday and will reopen at 6am on Monday.
A diversion has been put in place on the motorway for the weekend.
National Highways said the closure is to allow “vital works” to the Burghfield Road Bridge.
The repairs included replacing the existing paint system and refurbishing the bridge bearings.
Project manager Nick Axford advised drivers to plan “accordingly”.
It is the fifth in a series of weekend and overnight closures.
All work is expected to be completed by late July.
The same stretch will also be closed overnight from May 20 to 23 and May 28 to 31.
The M4 is a motorway that runs from London all the way to south Wales stretching across the west of the UK.
It opened in 1961 and was completed in 1996.
The M4 carries over 130,000 vehicles every day, according to data from Highways England.
The starting point for it is Chiswick and it ends at Pont Abraham in Carmarthenshire.
The full length of the M4 motorway is 189 miles and M4 traffic passes several major cities and towns along the route including Reading, Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea.
It also runs past Heathrow Airport providing access to all five terminals via Junction 3 and Junction 4B.
The area of the UK that runs alongside the M4 is often referred to as the M4 corridor.
UK weather
THUNDERSTORMS bringing heavy rain and the risk of sudden floods will hit the UK in hours, the Met Office said.
A yellow weather warning has been issued for vast swathes of the south-west from 1pm today.
It marks an end to days of warm, sunny weather as “heavy showers and thunderstorms” are set to batter Brits until 8pm.
Some locations could see 20-30mm of rainfall in one hour while other parts could experience 40-50mm.
Most of Wales will be impacted by severe downpours as well as thunder and lightning.
Bath, Exeter, Plymouth and Brixham – where locals are currently dealing with contaminated water issues – are also set to be affected.
Fears of flooding are mounting as the weather service issues tips for staying safe in storms.
Much of those on the coast should prepare for “quick floods and damaged from floodwater”.
Anyone planning on travelling via train or bus can expect delays as lightning strikes hit this afternoon.
The Met Office added: “Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.
Fears of flooding are mounting as the weather service issues tips for staying safe in storms.
Much of those on the coast should prepare for “quick floods and damaged from floodwater”.
Anyone planning on travelling via train or bus can expect delays as lightning strikes hit this afternoon.
The Met Office added: “Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.