The Severn Bridges Tolls Order 2008, Great Britain, Stationery Office, 2008, , . Enabling power: Severn Bridges Act 1992, s. 9 (1) (2) (b) (3) (b) (4) (6). Issued: 30.12.2008. Made: 18.12.2008. Laid: -. Coming into force: 01.01.2009. Effect: S.I. 2007/3496 revoked. Territorial extent & classification: E. Local.

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The (Welsh: Pont Hafren) is a motorway suspension bridge spanning the and between , South Gloucestershire (just north of Bristol) in England, and , in , via , Gloucestershire, a peninsula between the two rivers. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and Wales and took three and half years[3] to construct at a cost of £8 million.[4] It replaced the Aust ferry.

The first proposal for a bridge across the Severn, approximately in the same location as that eventually constructed, was in 1824 by Thomas Telford, who had been asked to advise on how to improve mail coach services between London and Wales. No action was taken, and over the next few decades the railways became the dominant mode of long-distance travel, with the Severn Railway Bridge at being opened in 1879 and the main line in 1886. However, the growth of road traffic in the early 20th century led to further calls for improvements, and in the early 1920s Chepstow Urban District Council convened a meeting of neighbouring local authorities to consider a to ease congestion and delays on the A48 passing through the town. In 1935 Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire County Councils jointly promoted a Parliamentary Bill to obtain powers to build the bridge over the estuary, with 75% of costs to be met by the Ministry of Transport from the Road Fund. However, the Bill was rejected by Parliament after opposition from the Great Western Railway Company.[6]

After World War II, plans began to be made for a nationally funded network of trunk roads, including a Severn Bridge, for which the contract was awarded to Mott, Hay and Anderson, with Freeman Fox and Partners. The public inquiry into the scheme was held on 24 September 1946 at Bristol University.[7] However, because Government funding was prioritised for the similar Forth Road Bridge (opened in 1964), construction of the Severn Bridge was not started until 1961: the UK government announced in 1962 that construction costs would be 'recovered' by means of a toll of 2s 6d (GBP 0.125) on all vehicle crossings, though walking or cycling across the bridge would be charge-free.[7] The substructure was completed by contractors John Howard and Co in 1963. The superstructure contract was awarded to Associated Bridge Builders Ltd (a joint venture of Sir William Arrol & Co., Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company and Dorman Long) in 1963, and completed in 1966.[8]

The Severn Bridge crossing consists of four structures, which, listed in order from England to Wales, are: the Aust Viaduct, Severn Bridge, Beachley Viaduct and Wye Bridge. The Severn Bridge and Aust Viaduct was granted Grade I listed status on 26 November 1999,[5] while the Wye Bridge and Beachley Viaduct was granted Grade II listed status on 29 May 1998.[9]

The Wye Bridge is a 1,340 ft (408 m) long cable-stayed bridge, which crosses the border marked by the River Wye between England and Wales, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Chepstow. It consists of a single large cable stayed section with two single-leg pylons supporting the bridge deck from the centre of the roadway. The deck is an orthotropic box girder similar to the Severn Bridge but has a different appearance as it has two sets of cable stays on each of two towers. Originally there was only one set of cable stays but these were replaced during the strengthening works. The Wye Bridge was built by Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company.[8]

The Severn Bridge crossing was strengthened and resurfaced in the late 1980s as the weight of traffic grew. The work included the strengthening of the Severn Bridge towers and deck, an extension to the existing Wye Bridge towers and the replacement of the original single stays with two stays. The open structure of the new stays is designed to facilitate maintenance. Most of the strengthening work was inside the deck box and towers and so is not visible. The surfacing is a 35 mm (1.4 in) thick layer of mastic asphalt over an acrylic waterproofing membrane.

The toll is indeed collected on the English side, and only on vehicles travelling westwards from England to Wales, leading some people to describe it as a "tax on entering Wales", both in jest and also as a more serious anti-toll campaign.[15] Originally, tolls were charged in both directions, but the arrangements were changed in the early 1990s to eliminate the need for a set of toll booths for each direction of travel and the potential for traffic waiting to pay the toll backing up onto the bridge itself.

As of January 2013[update], the toll is £6.20 for a car, increasing to £18.60 for a heavy goods vehicle.[19] Motorcycles and disabled badge holders are exempt from the tolls, although both must stop at the toll booths to have their eligibility confirmed, and also to allow the barrier to be raised. The tolls for the are the same, although in that case, the tolls are collected on the Welsh side (although still for traffic entering Wales, not leaving it), sufficiently far from the bridge that even severe queueing doesn't reach it. A system known as the Severn TAG made by Amtech is also in operation, which allows drivers to pay electronically without having to stop at the toll booths. TAGs are available either on a per-trip or a seasonal basis, although only the latter attracts a discount.

Credit/debit cards were not originally accepted on either bridge, but drivers who did not have the means to pay were able to get a bill from the toll operator and pay by post later. Card payment was made available in time for the 2010 Ryder Cup,[20] however, users would be required to enter their PIN and cash was still the recommended payment method to avoid delays.[21]

Ownership of the bridge and the Second Severn Crossing will return to the UK government when the revenue required to build and maintain them, as defined in a Concession Agreement with the Secretary of State for Transport, has been collected.[29] In 2010, the concession was expected to end in 2017.[30] In 2012, changes were made to the agreement to reflect the effect of changes in VAT and Corporation Tax and the costs of installing credit card handling systems. The net effect was to increase the required revenue from £995.83 million to £1,028.91 million in 1989 prices.[28][31]

During its 40th year of operation, the bridge was inspected to check for corrosion of the suspension cables. According to the Highways Agency,[32] the inspection concluded that the bridge needed restrictions on heavy goods vehicles.[33] Such vehicles are now restricted to one lane on the bridge, with weight restriction signs in place. A system of installing a rubber casing on the cables with dry air circulation is to be used on the Forth Road Bridge and a similar system may be implemented on the Severn Bridge, in a move to halt the progress of the corrosion.[34]

The Second Severn Crossing (Welsh: Ail Groesfan Hafren) is the bridge over the River Severn between England and Wales, inaugurated on 5 June 1996 by HRH The Prince of Wales to augment the traffic capacity of the original Severn Bridge built in 1966. The bridge marks the lower limit of the River Severn and the start of the Severn Estuary.

Its location is farther to the south than the old bridge and, being more in line with the landward sides of the M4 motorway, is a shorter journey when travelling between England and South Wales. The junctions at each end are designed for most traffic to use this crossing – to use the old Severn Bridge crossing one has to leave the M4 and join the M48 motorway either at Aust or near Magor. The new crossing carries more traffic than the Severn Bridge, which is still in use. It is wider than the Severn Bridge, having three lanes and hard shoulder each way, compared to the two lanes, cycle path and footpath of the original crossing. The path taken by the bridge is close to that of the Severn Tunnel which has carried the railway line beneath the river bed since 1886.

The concession given to the consortium who financed, built and operate the bridge required them to take over the outstanding debt on the original Severn Bridge and to operate the two bridges as a single entity. Tolls are set by the government and on the expiry of the concession the consortium are required to hand the bridge over into public ownership.

The Severn Estuary presented a barrier between the Bristol area and South Wales. The estuary has a maximum tidal range of 14.5 metres, the second highest in the world and during a rising or falling tide, strong currents of up to 8 knots (4 m/s). Much of the estuary is mud flats that are exposed at low tide that have been designated a Special Protection Area. The central part of the estuary is a navigable channel which, at the site of the bridge, is known as "The Shoots". The bridge is upstream from and the Port of Bristol, but downstream from the Port of Sharpness. The Harbour Trustees have responsibility for controlling navigation in the estuary's tidal waters upstream from the bridge.[1]

Until 1966, road travellers had the option of either using the Aust Ferry which had operated since medieval times (and as a car ferry since 1926) or by making the 57 miles (92 km) detour via Gloucester.[2] In 1966 the first Severn road bridge, a four-lane suspension bridge was opened carrying the M4 motorway from England into South Wales. By 1984 traffic across the first Severn Bridge had tripled and it was projected that by the mid-1990s the old bridge would be running at capacity. A study was commissioned into the building of a second crossing - either a tunnel or a bridge. The consultants reported back in 1986 recommending that a new bridge be built downstream from the existing bridge.[3][4]

In 1988 it was announced that tenders would be invited from private consortia to fund, build and operate the bridge for as specified period. The consortium would also take over the management and the £100 million debt of the old bridge.[5] Tenders were invited in 1989 and in 1990 the concession to build the bridge was awarded to Sev­ern River Cross­ing plc.[6] Construction work started on 26 April 1992 and the bridge was opened by the Prince of Wales on 5 June 1996.[3]

The deck, which carries three lanes of traffic in each direction is 34.6 metres (114 ft) wide. The sides of the bridge are fitted with 3 metres (9.8 ft) baffle plates to reduce lateral wind loads coming from the Severn Estuary onto the traffic and this has reduced the number of times that speed restrictions have been needed. The overall design of the new crossing makes it more resistant to high winds than the old Severn Bridge.[7]

The crossing was built by a business consortium under a public-private partnership. A company called Severn River Crossing plc, led by John Laing plc and GTM-Entrepose, was formed to build the new crossing.[11] This company also took over the responsibility of managing and maintaining the old Severn Bridge crossing, as well as managing and maintaining the new crossing. The cost of constructing the new crossing was expected to be paid for by tolls collected from motorists using the two crossings. Work on the new crossing began in 1992. Completion was in 1996.

Sub-assemblies for the bridge were constructed onshore and then shifted by a large tracked vehicle (similar to that used to move the Apollo and Space Shuttle at Cape Kennedy) onto a barge (the SAR3), prior to being floated out on the high tide to the appropriate site. The 37 bridge pier foundations on the approach viaducts are 98.11 metres (321.9 ft) apart, and consist of open concrete caissons weighing up to 2,000 tonnes, which were founded on the rock of the estuary bed. The decking consists of 3.6 metres (11.8 ft) post stressed match cast sections, weighing 200 tonnes each.[7]

The cable stayed section of the crossing is over 1,044.7 metres (3,427.5 ft) long, consisting of a 34.6 metres (113.5 ft) wide deck made from steel plate girders with a composite reinforced concrete slab. These were prefabricated on shore and put in place using balanced cantilever methods. There are two high twin leg, reinforced and pre-stressed concrete pylons carrying 240 cables which support the bridge deck rising to a height of 149 metres (489 ft) above the river bed or 101 metres (331 ft) above the bridge deck. Cable vibrations were experienced during construction and secondary cables were added to eliminate this. To avoid detracting from the aesthetics of the primary cables, the secondary cables are very slender and are not very noticeable.[7]

The crossing passes over mudflats in the Severn Estuary with part of the eastern approach viaduct sited on the English Stones, a rocky outcrop uncovered at low tide. The estuary wetlands are home to migrating birds such as the Ringed Plover, Redshank and Whimbrel, while the Eurasian Curlew, Dunlin and Grey Plover winter in the area. The birds feed on ragworm, lugworm and other invertebrates. Saltmarsh is found along the fringes of the coast. Beds of eelgrass occur on the more sheltered mud and sand-banks.[13] In 1976, in recognition of the importance of the estuary as a wetland used by migrating birds, an area of 247 square kilometres was designated a Ramsar site.[14] In 1988 the Severn Estuary was designated a Special Protection Area. The same year an area of 99 square kilometres was notified as a SSSI designated as such the following year;[13] in 1995, it was extended to cover the whole of the Ramsar site.[15]

The construction process resulted in a temporary increase in turbidity of the Severn’s waters. Although eelgrass is reasonably tolerant to short-term high turbidity and consequent loss of light, the bed of eelgrass in the Severn was observed to greatly decline during the period of construction.[16] The construction of the approach roads and toll plaza resulted in the permanent loss of some wet pasture land.[17]

Field surveys carried out in 2003 and 2004 reported that the bridge had little effect on the flight paths of the various birds – it was noted that when Curlew, Dunlin and Lapwing approached the bridge, they would change course to gain height and fly over the bridge, but that Oystercatchers and Turnstone would fly under the bridge. The surveys also showed that the bridge had minimal impact on the roosting habits of most birds, though a flock of Mallard were seen to be roosting directly under the bridge with many positioning themselves on the dry concrete base on one of the pillars. Likewise, it was noted that the bridge had little impact on the birds' feeding habits – Turnstone and Lapwing were recorded as feeding on mudflats directly under the bridge while the absence of other waders was attributed to the rocky nature of the foreshore.[13]

Tolls are collected from west-bound traffic near , some 2.1 miles (3.4 km) from the Welsh portal of the bridge.[6] Tolls can be paid by cash, major credit or debit cards, or by use of the Severn TAG system, which is a wireless electronic toll collection system that does not require vehicles to stop.[18] Cash can be paid at the manned booths or coins can be used at the automated coin gates.

The toll prices are updated every year on 1 January in accordance with the Severn Bridges Act of 1992.[20][21][22] In late 2008, UK VAT was reduced from 17.5% to 15%, but the bridge toll remained unchanged. For reasons of convenience the tolls are kept at round multiples of 10p (the bridge toll is largely paid in cash), but the 13p VAT reduction was not passed on immediately. In 2009, the planned toll for cars would have been £5.50, as the announcements listed,[20][22] but the actual toll charged was £5.40. http://kgarch.org/gag.pdf http://kgarch.org/5hb.pdf http://kgarch.org/4l4.pdf http://kgarch.org/cbm.pdf http://kgarch.org/1c1.pdf http://kgarch.org/ckl.pdf http://kgarch.org/ch7.pdf http://kgarch.org/cba.pdf http://kgarch.org/gab.pdf http://kgarch.org/k8.pdf http://kgarch.org/39e.pdf http://kgarch.org/7em.pdf http://kgarch.org/ccl.pdf http://kgarch.org/g3a.pdf http://kgarch.org/859.pdf