M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

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A303Chris
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M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by A303Chris »

I am sure someone on here knows the answer, but what is going on between J15 and J16 on the M4, as I can not find anything on the Highways England website or by googling.

When coming back from Cornwall last weekend late evening, when it was dark, this section of the M4 is at a 50mph limit and takes a diversion on temporary road around a new bridge. The warning signs just say "New Bridge Works".

It seemed to be where the M4 crossed the Great Western Mainline and seems more to be a replacement bridge, anyone know where the details are.

Secondly, anyone know why the MS4 signs have been taken down between J18 and J16 eastbound?
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by Paul7755 »

Is this a badly explained new "underpass" (as opposed to bridge) under Swindon local authority control?

Found a probable explanation here: https://www.southswindon-pc.gov.uk/news ... underpass/

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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by Micro The Maniac »

The restrictions will be in place for a two-kilometre section of the motorway but all lanes, which will be narrowed, will remain open throughout. The speed restrictions will remain in place for approximately 10 months.
TEN MONTHS to build a bridge/underpass? Really?
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RichardA35
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by RichardA35 »

Micro The Maniac wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 09:08
The restrictions will be in place for a two-kilometre section of the motorway but all lanes, which will be narrowed, will remain open throughout. The speed restrictions will remain in place for approximately 10 months.
TEN MONTHS to build a bridge/underpass? Really?
Yes, I'm surprised that it is that short given the fairly complex nature of the work working around live traffic.
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by Big L »

RichardA35 wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 09:19
Micro The Maniac wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 09:08
The restrictions will be in place for a two-kilometre section of the motorway but all lanes, which will be narrowed, will remain open throughout. The speed restrictions will remain in place for approximately 10 months.
TEN MONTHS to build a bridge/underpass? Really?
Yes, I'm surprised that it is that short given the fairly complex nature of the work working around live traffic.
If you read the link a couple of posts up, the contractors are building/have built a temporary embankment to the side which the motorway will be diverted on to while the bridge is built. Other than filling some gaps (between temporary carriageway and existing carriageway) in with hardtop, there isn’t a lot of working around live traffic to be done.
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by M4Simon »

There is a video of the construction sequence here:

.

It's an impressive piece of work. Which part are they not doing quickly enough to fit all that into less than 10 months?

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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by DavidBrown »

Presumably this new road will then link into this long unfinished junction at some point in the future?
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by RichardA35 »

Big L wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 09:28
RichardA35 wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 09:19
Micro The Maniac wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 09:08

TEN MONTHS to build a bridge/underpass? Really?
Yes, I'm surprised that it is that short given the fairly complex nature of the work working around live traffic.
If you read the link a couple of posts up, the contractors are building/have built a temporary embankment to the side which the motorway will be diverted on to while the bridge is built. Other than filling some gaps (between temporary carriageway and existing carriageway) in with hardtop, there isn’t a lot of working around live traffic to be done.
The word "around" was chosen carefully. The works have to be planned and executed around the traffic moves rather than in an unconstrained "greenfield" environment. If I'd meant to say "adjacent" to live traffic I would have done so :-)
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A303Chris
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by A303Chris »

Paul7755 wrote: Thu Aug 20, 2020 15:28 Is this a badly explained new "underpass" (as opposed to bridge) under Swindon local authority control?

Found a probable explanation here: https://www.southswindon-pc.gov.uk/news ... underpass/

Paul
That will be it, thanks.

Shame the HE didn't put it on there site though
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by jackal »

Not sure if there's a more appropriate thread, but an improvement at M4 J15 has been underway since August and is due to open in October. It includes a freeflow filter lane onto M4eb, localised widening, and a third lane on the A419 southbound from the nearby Commonhead GSJ. It looks well designed and good value for £17m.

Plan: https://www.swindon.gov.uk/download/dow ... _works.pdf

Repairs have also started on the Broome Manor Lane overbridge just to the west, which will cause some disruption to the M4.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.busine ... 227376.amp
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by JammyDodge »

jackal wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 09:02 Not sure if there's a more appropriate thread, but an improvement at M4 J15 has been underway since August and is due to open in October. It includes a freeflow filter lane onto M4eb, localised widening, and a third lane on the A419 southbound from the nearby Commonhead GSJ. It looks well designed and good value for £17m.

Plan: https://www.swindon.gov.uk/download/dow ... _works.pdf
Haven't been up that way in a little while. Nice to see it getting some attention. The junction was starting to get a little tired. It is nice to see that they are taking the harder way out and not cheaping out, by not just slapping lights on all the arms and adding a lane.
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A303Chris
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by A303Chris »

jackal wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 09:02 Not sure if there's a more appropriate thread, but an improvement at M4 J15 has been underway since August and is due to open in October. It includes a freeflow filter lane onto M4eb, localised widening, and a third lane on the A419 southbound from the nearby Commonhead GSJ. It looks well designed and good value for £17m.

Plan: https://www.swindon.gov.uk/download/dow ... _works.pdf

Repairs have also started on the Broome Manor Lane overbridge just to the west, which will cause some disruption to the M4.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.busine ... 227376.amp
Question is, why are Swindon doing this given the M4 / J15 roundabout and the A419 are all HE Trunk Roads
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by A9NWIL »

DavidBrown wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 16:25 Presumably this new road will then link into this long unfinished junction at some point in the future?
possibly but it certainly will with this: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.55007 ... 3?hl=en-GB
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by A9NWIL »

A303Chris wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 12:33
jackal wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 09:02 Not sure if there's a more appropriate thread, but an improvement at M4 J15 has been underway since August and is due to open in October. It includes a freeflow filter lane onto M4eb, localised widening, and a third lane on the A419 southbound from the nearby Commonhead GSJ. It looks well designed and good value for £17m.

Plan: https://www.swindon.gov.uk/download/dow ... _works.pdf

Repairs have also started on the Broome Manor Lane overbridge just to the west, which will cause some disruption to the M4.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.busine ... 227376.amp
Question is, why are Swindon doing this given the M4 / J15 roundabout and the A419 are all HE Trunk Roads
For this: https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20134/n ... illage_nev
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by A9NWIL »

Paul7755 wrote: Thu Aug 20, 2020 15:28 Is this a badly explained new "underpass" (as opposed to bridge) under Swindon local authority control?

Found a probable explanation here: https://www.southswindon-pc.gov.uk/news ... underpass/

Paul
A better link: https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20136/t ... ess_scheme
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by mikehindsonevans »

jackal wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 09:02 Not sure if there's a more appropriate thread, but an improvement at M4 J15 has been underway since August and is due to open in October. It includes a freeflow filter lane onto M4eb, localised widening, and a third lane on the A419 southbound from the nearby Commonhead GSJ. It looks well designed and good value for £17m.

Plan: https://www.swindon.gov.uk/download/dow ... _works.pdf

Repairs have also started on the Broome Manor Lane overbridge just to the west, which will cause some disruption to the M4.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.busine ... 227376.amp
Wow. I remember when the Commonhead flyover was originally built. It was part of the steady flow of improvements to traffic flow, along the A419 from M4j15 to Birdlip eventually.
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by Chris5156 »

mikehindsonevans wrote: Thu Mar 25, 2021 22:41 Wow. I remember when the Commonhead flyover was originally built. It was part of the steady flow of improvements to traffic flow, along the A419 from M4j15 to Birdlip eventually.
It’s really not that old - the Commonhead Flyover opened in 2007. Almost all of the A417/419 route as it exists today predates it. The only newer part is the Blunsdon Bypass.
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Re: M4 Junction 15 to 16 - New Bridge

Post by jackal »

The J15 improvement has now opened on schedule.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nati ... to-traffic
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