M4 closed at the weekend. We have planned on visiting Cardiff University. Any local people have advice about diversions and extra time it might take?

[YesRachelItIsMe]

We are travelling from Hampshire.
Does anyone local, know what the diversion might be and how crazy it might get?
There aren’t any further open days on the website and we need to think about whether we cancel the trip.

I know when the local motorway here has been closed, it has been best to stay well away.

Any help would be appreciated.

Could you go by train? Or drive to a relevant suburb/station and get the train from there?

Get the train or go M50, and go over the 1st crossing.

I would also go by train. Work out which railcard will save you the most over the next year and buy it before you book your tickets.

Where does it say it's shut? I can only see overnight closures (and those are slip roads only)

It's closed jct 18-19 (bath-M32). I don't know the official diversion but the route I suspect it will be goes very close to where I live and I strongly suspect it will be carnage. I'm dreading the weekend to be honest and I don't even have plans to travel that stretch of road!!

Ah sorry, it's been a long day. I'd take the train 😥

@glastogal
Thank you, that info is helpful.
I’ve looked at the trains and we just never travel by train and the railcards would cost more than the amount we would save.
I’m not prepared to pay the amount required for the trains for a Uni Open day.

I'm looking at exactly the same options! I think the trains are going to be rammed as well.

You could go Marlborough/Swindon/Gloucester, then follow the A40/A449 towards South Wales. It takes you further up onto the M4 via Monmouth.

It will be fine. There are alternative routes. I’ve just looked at the list and the work is either taking place at night or it’s just a few junctions closed.

We are off to Warwick for their open day, so we will go via the Heads of the Valley and avoid the M4. I often travel on sections of the M4 and the diversions are never too much of a problem. At least there isn’t any rugby in content with.

The M4 is totally shut from J18 to J19 from Friday night 18th at 7pm until 6am Monday 21 October according to card given to residents by,South Gloucestershire council. It will not be fine. Diversion A46/420/4174 and M32. So A roads not dual carriageways.

Whereabouts in Hampshire? If the M4 closure is around Bath then you could cut across country to pick up the M5 in Somerset and then get on the M4 outside Bristol to go on into South Wales.

I have friends very close to the closure. They are getting supplies in and hunkering down at home.

OP, I would check all the diversions carefully and leave very early. Good luck.

Thanks everyone.
I am going to email the university to see if we can get hold of any course talk slides and maybe go up and look around on a different day. It’s not the same as the open day but is better than nothing.
I really don’t want to risk getting caught up and the day vanishing before we even get there.

It’s closing the main M4 between Bath and Bristol, J18-19, from Friday evening through until Monday early morning.

It won’t be fine. It will be hideous and the diversions will be rammed as few of them are dual carriageways.

OP depending where you are in Hampshire either go south into Somerset and up the M5, or north off the M4 by Swindon and up to the M5 that way. Either way I’m sure it will be busy.

It’s just one junction. It was shut the other day when I came back from Bristol westbound. I planned ahead, the journey took a little longer but nothing dramatic. In fact the alternative route was empty, although it was quite late.

I got caught up in the football traffic last night just outside Cardiff on my way to a gig. It cleared quickly.

I would advise you to drive to Bristol Parkway station, park there, and take the train to Cardiff. It's about 30 minutes or less.

Wise! These roads grind to a halt regularly without the weight of motorway traffic so I'm having serious thoughts about my weekend plans too!!

Amazed the uni haven’t changed the Open Day.

You are so wrong

This is the diversion. Definitely a real problem.

Surely it entirely depends where you are in Hampshire? South I would go on the M3 up to the A303 (Basingstoke) and then cross country to Bristol. North I would go up from Swindon, across to Cirencester and the M5 to Bristol.

I'm always surprised at just how big Hampshire is!

glastogal The roads being used for the diversion will not cope with motorway traffic, as you say, they get congested all the time. Around Emersons Green it will surely be at a standstill. My friends live in a turning off the diversion route, they won't be going anywhere. Best wishes for your weekend!

Any views on what the A303 would be like as an alternative route this weekend?