The M48 Motorway (Severn Bridge) (Temporary Prohibition of Heavy Goods Vehicles) Order 2025

Made: 20th May 2025

Coming into force: 27th May 2025

The Secretary of State has had regard to the existence of alternative routes suitable for the traffic which will be affected by this Order in accordance with section 14(3) of the Act.

Citation and commencement

1

This Order may be cited as the M48 Motorway (Severn Bridge) (Temporary Prohibition of Heavy Goods Vehicles) Order 2025 and comes into force on 27th May 2025.

Interpretation

2

In this Order—

• “appointed person” has the meaning given in section 23 of the Severn Bridges Act 1992[^f00002];

• “goods vehicle” has the meaning given in Schedule 1 to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016[^f00003];

• “length of carriageway” means— the westbound carriageway of the M48 from a point 239 metres west of the tip of the nosing of the westbound entry slip road at junction 1 (Aust) to a point 47 metres west of the mechanical joint at the western end of the M48 Severn Bridge; and the eastbound carriageway of the M48 from a point 47 metres west of the mechanical joint at the western end of the M48 Severn Bridge to a point 239 metres west of the tip of the nosing of the westbound entry slip road at junction 1 (Aust);

• “M48” means the M48 motorway;

• “maximum gross weight” has the meaning given in Schedule 1 to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016;

• “period of danger” means the period starting at 00:01 hours on Tuesday 27th May 2025 and ending when the likelihood of danger has ended or after 18 months, whichever is sooner;

• “tip of the nosing” means the first point where an entry slip road joins the carriageway of a motorway or the last point where an exit slip road leaves the carriageway of a motorway.

Motorway restrictions

3

Subject to article 4, no person may, during the period of danger, cause or permit any goods vehicle, having a maximum gross weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes to enter or proceed in the length of carriageway.

Use of traffic signs to implement the motorway restrictions

4

Article 3 only applies at such times and to such extent as indicated from time to time by traffic signs, as prescribed under section 64 of the Act.

Exemptions

5

Article 3 does not apply to a vehicle—

• (a) being used for police, ambulance, fire, or rescue authority emergency response purposes;

• (b) proceeding at the direction of, or with the permission of, a police constable, traffic officer in uniform, or an appointed person; or

• (c) being used for maintenance purposes on the M48 Severn Bridge.

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

M Gilmour — Senior Civil Servant — Department for Transport — 20th May 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order authorises the temporary prohibition of goods vehicles with a maximum gross weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes on specified lengths of the M48 motorway from 27th May 2025 and ending when the period of danger has ended or after 18 months, whichever is sooner.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1984 c. 27; section 2(1) was amended by section 168(1) of, and paragraph 18(2) of Schedule 8 to, the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (c. 22). Section 2(2) was amended by section 168(1) of, and paragraph 18(3) of Schedule 8 to, the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. Section 14 was substituted by section 1(1) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Act 1991 (c. 26).

[^f00002]: 1992 c. 3.

[^f00003]: S.I. 2016/362.