The A40 is closing in both directions between Over roundabout and Highnam roundabout near Gloucester between 8pm on Monday 19 October and 6am on Tuesday 20 October 2026, with signed diversions in place, as works to refurbish Over Bridge continue.
Then the A40 westbound carriageway between Over roundabout and Over Farm will be closed from Tuesday 20 October 2026 to January 2027, switching the contraflow onto the eastbound carriageway of the bridge, to allow work to begin on the westbound carriageway.
There will be one lane of traffic running in each direction with a 30mph speed limit.
The latest measures are part of National Highways’ £7 million plan to repair and maintain Over Bridge on the A40, which began in June 2026 and is due to end in March 2027. It includes repairing concrete, renewing the waterproofing, improving drainage, resurfacing, new bridge joints, upgraded street lighting, new barriers and new signage.
Over Bridge carries the A40 over the River Severn at Over in Gloucester, with 5,000 vehicles an hour crossing the bridge at peak times.
The bridge connects Gloucester, Cheltenham and Ross-on-Wye, while the A40 connects England and Wales.
The date of the contraflow switch was chosen to avoid conflicting with planned M5 footbridge demolition works and the associated diversion routes through Gloucester.
While this overnight closure date was moved back due to a need for additional repairs, the overall project completion date remains unchanged.
This repair and maintenance work aims to extend the bridge's life and reduce the risk of future unplanned closures for emergency maintenance work.
Over Farm – which remains open as usual throughout the roadworks – has live feeds from east- and west-facing traffic cameras on its website to help visitors assess traffic flow.
