Severn Bridge

The Severn Bridge is a motorway suspension bridge that crosses the River Severn between South Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in South Wales. It replaced the old Aust Ferry, which had served for 137 years before the bridge opened. Construction took three and a half years, and the bridge was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1966. For three decades it carried the M4 motorway until the Prince of Wales Bridge opened. The bridge now carries the M48 motorway and has service paths for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge has Grade I listed status and has been strengthened and resurfaced several times to cope with increasing traffic. In 2006, inspections found corrosion in the suspension cables, leading to restrictions on heavy goods vehicles. The towers and deck were reinforced in the late 1980s, and a system of dry air circulation was installed to slow further corrosion. Plans to reclassify the M48 as an A-road have been discussed, though no decision has been made. Visitors can walk or cycle across the bridge on service paths that form part of National Cycle Route 4 and EuroVelo routes. The bridge is also part of a weekly parkrun event. The crossing offers views of the Severn estuary and the surrounding countryside. The structure itself, with its tall towers and suspended deck, remains an impressive example of mid-20th-century engineering.