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We have cycle tours regularly crossing the bridge into Wales and we're trying to find a way of anticipating which side of the bridge will be closed in advance. They closed the south path last week and it caused chaos amongst the group. We were using our usual route through Old Passage and that road closure started the confusion, which was then compounded by them needing to find a way over to the north path (steep steps over a footbridge...)
We're thinking of rerouting to approach from Olverston, but I'm thinking you'd need to know which side of the bridge would be open before you get to the big roundabout? I can't find an info source that could let us inform our riders. Avoiding the A403 would be a massive bonus.
Any local knowledge welcome!
The Severn Bridges Twitter account (@2SevernBridges) often lists closures and diversions.
You dont have to go over the footbridge.
Follow the country lane on from the Aust ferry area on until you get to the duel carriageway, turn left. Straight across the roundabout, just at the services turning, is the bike path entrance for the north side.
You could try contacting Highways England directly for better info.
I agree the info coming out about the bridge is poor. Even poorer is the total lack of bike or pedestrian routes over the new bridge, no idea how they got away with that.
Would be interesting in the name of your Touring company, if open to the public, if you are willing to share, no worries if not.
Dove1 - brilliant! Good ol'twitter
Cheers Midnighthour, definitely an option though we can't use our usual route past the old ferry area due to the flood defence building work, which is why I'm thinking we could come at it via Olverston. We might even end up giving them two different Garmin files in advance then telling them which one to load if we get info via twitter...
They really don't make it easy, it must really wind the daily cycle commuters up!
I work for Peak Tours by the way, a cracking company!
You mean Olveston for those looking at maps, just down from Tockington. There is also an Alveston very near just to add confusion.
Just looking on Google maps - its only 0.1 of a mile from the end of the lane to the roundabout so you would not be on the duel carriage way for very long. Google estimates it at 1 minute of cycling.
You have to go around the same big roundabout below the Severn Bridge whichever direction you come from (to get to the North side direct access path), but you would be on the roundabout longer coming from Olveston as you would need to go 3/4 of the way round it instead of straight across.
If you came from Olveston and the north side was closed unexpectedly and the south open, it would be a more risky/difficult route to get to over to the south side from there as you would then have to both cycle along and then actually cross the duel carriage way, which is worse in my view than just cycling a bit of the duel carriageway if you came from Severn beach direction - you would be more exposed to traffic risks.
There is no perfect no risk approach for cyclists to this bridge on the English end, as the big roundabout cannot be avoided whichever way you approach. However the roads are much safer than they used to be as the traffic is no where near as bad as prior to the 2nd bridge being built. Yes, I have lived locally for that long!
Sorry we posted at the same time.
I did not know about the works. I live inland from the Bridge area.
Thanks for the company ref. Which of the rides goes over the Severn?
Thanks - I think I've got a plan!
Our Lands End to John O'Groats tours go over the bridge and over to Monmouth
The easiest way to get from one side to the other is use the shared pavement/cycleway from the end of New Passage road , under motorway to North side. Or vice versa. About 400m See street view on Google maps
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/ @51.60185,-2.6179307,3a,75y,146.49h,36.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sc4KDlIv-niThTGnc-C4unA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
There's no need to actually go on the roundabout itself whichever way you approach the bridge.
If coming from New Passage way. as my post above.
If coming from Olveston way:
To go S side, come down B4461 slip road and turn left through tunnel to Aust, through Aust and across A403 to New Passage road.
To go N Side, come down B4461 slip road and turn right through tunnel under Mway, left on exiting tunnel, and down marked cyclepath which goes down side of B4461 slip road against traffic flow. .
PS the pub in Aust , Boar's Head, is good 🙂