MONMOUTH MP David Davies has expressed his disappointment that planned resurfacing works on the Second Severn Crossing have again been postponed.
Major repairs to the M4 carriageway were originally scheduled for this summer but were delayed until September. Mr Davies has since been informed that work will now take place in 2013.
Severn River Crossing Plc, which operates and maintains both the M48 Severn Bridge and the Second Severn Crossing, said the resurfacing is part of the company’s six-year planning towards the handover of the bridges to public ownership in 2017/18 but is not “immediately essential”.
In a letter to Mr Davies, General Manager Jim Clue said: “Upon further investigation into the physical and technical logistics of the works, a number of issues emerged that meant there was a high possibility of an overrun into the summer embargo period. Since the works are non-critical, we concluded that the risk of proceeding and causing unnecessary traffic disruption was not justified.
“It is likely that the work will now take place in 2013 (2012 being the Olympics year), but a final date has not yet been agreed.”
As Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, Mr Davies last year led an inquiry into the future of tolls on the Severn Crossings, which also looked at the physical safety of the structures and the costs associated with ongoing maintenance of both bridges.
While Mr Davies acknowledged it was important to resolve safety issues prior to undertaking resurfacing works in order to minimise disruption, he described the decision to postpone repairs as “regrettable”.
“The existing surfacing is fast reaching the end of its life and several emergency repairs have been carried out over the past 12 months,” he said.
“The Severn Crossings are a crucial link for commuters and businesses located in South Wales and beyond and are essential to the Welsh economy. Maintaining this transport infrastructure is therefore vital and I will be urging SRC to set a new date for the works as soon as practically possible”.