Motorists are being advised to anticipate delays of up to 90 minutes on the M5 motorway over the coming weeks due to the movement of three large silos from Avonmouth docks towards the Midlands.
National Highways has announced that these “abnormal load” transports will originate at Avonmouth and travel northbound along the M5. The vehicles carrying the silos will be restricted to speeds between 20mph and 25mph, with only one lane available for overtaking.
Further delays are expected as the transports will need to pause and lower their loads to safely pass under bridges and other structures along the route. During these manoeuvres, northbound traffic will be temporarily stopped, causing potential lengthy queues.
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The operation begins on Wednesday, 30 September, with Warwickshire-based specialist transport company Alleys responsible for moving the three enormous silos, each weighing up to 25 tonnes.
The movement will be conducted in three separate phases, each lasting two days. Police forces from Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, and the West Midlands will escort the loads through their respective areas to ensure safety and manage traffic.
The precise dates for each phase are scheduled as follows:
- Departures from Avonmouth on specified dates
- West Midlands Police to escort the convoys between junctions 8 and 2 of the M5 from 4am on the appointed days
A spokesperson from National Highways explained: “Northbound journeys on the M5 will be directly affected, with only one lane open for overtaking. Due to the considerable height of the loads, the vehicles will maintain speeds of 20 to 25mph. Scheduled stops will be necessary to lower the loads at certain route structures, which will require halting traffic and could result in substantial delays of 60 to 90 minutes. Vehicles will pull over at designated safe locations to allow traffic queues to clear.”
Drivers are encouraged to plan accordingly to minimise disruption during these abnormal load movements.