Severn Bridge (Hansard, 22 November 1978)

§ Mr. William Rodgers

The Severn Bridge was a significant technical achievement at the time it was built and was then unique. Inevitably some unforeseen problems have arisen from time to time which have necessitated lane closures, but none of the problems gives any cause for concern about the overall safety of the bridge. I very much regret the delays caused to travellers by work on the bridge but it is essential that maintenance work should be carried out as and when it proves necessary. A list of the items of work carried out since the bridge was opened, other known maintenance items and possible future works has been deposited in the Library.

Routine inspection and maintenance will continue to be required and some lane closures are bound to be necessary in the future. The nature of the work is sometimes such that it cannot all be carried out at the same time. For example, the work required on the rockers last year and early this year and the work now being carried out on the expansion joints have had to be done at different times because they necessitate different patterns of lane closures. But the timing of maintenance works will continue to be selected to give as little inconvenience as 630W possible. Every effort will be made to reduce their duration to a minimum.

I have also been asked when the bridge will reach its maximum capacity and what I have in mind thereafter. The growth of traffic on the Severn Bridge has not been uniform and it is uncertain when maximum capacity will be reached. But it is possible that it may be as early as the end of the century and it is prudent to start thinking now about what might be done. Duplication of the bridge is not the only possibility. It will be necessary to study the requirements of traffic from a large part of the country for access to and from South Wales. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I will be considering how best to proceed.