MOTORISTS are being advised to leave extra time for their journeys if using the M42 near Birmingham after a bridge was damaged in two separate collisions.
Only two lanes are running underneath the bridge, between junctions seven (for the M6 interchange) and six (for Birmingham Airport), after the structure was hit twice within a week.
The hard shoulder and lane one have been closed to ensure the safety of road users.
National Highways duty operations manager, Damian Holdcroft, said: “The strikes have caused significant damage to the bridge so we have closed two lanes on the southbound carriageway while we carry out further investigations and look at the options available to us.
“Safety is always our number one priority and we cannot risk the bridge being hit in this area again.
“We appreciate the impact the lane closures are having on drivers and would urge people to allow extra time for their journeys, particularly if heading to Birmingham Airport or events at the NEC, and to take alternative routes if at all possible.”
This bridge has already been hit almost 20 times in the last 10 years according to National Highways figures.
Most recently it was a hit by a HGV on January 8 and again later in the week.
The agency said engineers are considering all possible solutions to ensure the safety of the bridge but until that is resolved, only two lanes will remain open.
This morning (January 15) there were traffic queues of up to 10 miles and it is anticipated that this evening’s peak traffic will also see considerable delays.
