THE Severn Bridge will be closed to all traffic this weekend for more maintenance work.

The M48 bridge will shut at 7pm on Friday, September 30 and reopen at 6am on Monday, October 3.

Over the weekend, two cable inspection gantries will be moved from the westbound to the eastbound carriageway.

It is part of wider work to inspect and maintain the suspension bridge, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1966.

A weekend diversion route will be in place via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge (Second Severn Crossing).

Chris Pope, project manager for National Highways, said the company was "not envisaging a major impact" on traffic.

“The inspections are vital to allow us to understand the current condition of the suspension cables and confirm that the measures that we implemented over the last 15 years have been effective in ensuring the long-term viability of the bridge and the safety of its users," he added.

“We have been working in conjunction with our contractor Amey and the weekend closures have been planned to avoid any major events both sides of the bridge.

“Agreed diversion routes are in place and we are not envisaging a major impact on our road users.”

Meanwhile, the wider maintenance project continues, and the inspection team has completed checks at four sites, including inspections of 360 metres of cable and repairs to 30 broken wires.

The project means long-term lane closures will remain in place after this weekend’s full closure. Vehicles more than 2.9 metres wide continue to be prohibited from using the M48 Severn Bridge during this work.

The footway and cycle path next to the eastbound carriageway will remain open during the closure this weekend.

Mr Pope added: “We understand this work may cause some inconvenience and disruption, but we are making every effort to ensure the impact on drivers is kept to a minimum."