M4 closed for weekend bridge and smart motorway work

Drivers face disruption during the weekend due to the closure of two sections of the M4.

The eastbound carriageway between junctions 14 for Hungerford and 13 for Newbury is shut for bridge repairs.

Highways England said repairs and waterproofing were being carried out on the bridge that carries the motorway over Welford Road.

The M4 is also shut for smart motorway work both ways between junctions 3 for Hayes and 4b for the the M25.

Both stretches of the motorway are expected to reopen at 06:00 BST on Monday.

National Highways said the smart motorway project would "help keep traffic moving smoothly, instead of continually stopping and starting".

When it is completed, the hard shoulder between junctions 3 and 12 will be converted to a traffic lane.

There will be five lanes between junctions 4 and 4b. There will also be five lanes on the eastbound carriageway to junction 4b.

Critics of smart motorways have raised fears about their safety after fatal crashes involving stationary cars being hit from behind.

In April, the government announced that no more smart motorways without hard shoulders would be able to open without additional safety measures.

The £848m M4 project started in 2018 and is due to be completed in spring 2022.

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