Plans for a third Severn bridge have been unveiled for a spot on the estuary north of Bristol.
A partnership of public sector organisations and business chiefs have suggested the idea for a multi-use bridge, which would potentially include both road and rail. The aspiration is that it would be built by the year 2050.
It was named as one of ‘six big ideas’ by the Gloucestershire 2050 organisation, alongside creating a ‘super city’ out of Gloucester and Cheltenham.
The third Severn Bridge would connect the two towns of Sharpness, near Thornbury, and Lydney in the Forest of Dean on the western side of the river.
It would replace a rail bridge that connected the Forest of Dean with the eastern side of the Severn until the 1960s, when a disaster left it unusable and it was demolished. Two tanker barges carrying oil and petrol hit one of the columns of the old Severn railway bridge on the night of October 25, 1960, causing an explosion and fire. Five people were killed in the accident.
The vision is for the new bridge to link the Forest of Dean to the M5 just north of junction 14 for Thornbury, making connection between Bristol and the Forest much easier than it is at present.
Those behind the idea think it could provide a major economic boost to the Forest of Dean, which is already seeing rising house prices because of an exodus from expensive Bristol and the prospect of zero tolls on the present two Severn bridges making commuting to Bristol much more attractive.
“A new crossing would provide a vital connection between districts and access to the Forest; thereby addressing employment and economic regeneration, education and skills development, housing need and retention of young people,” said a spokesperson for Gloucestershire 2050.
“The new crossing would be designed to be multi-purpose, to provide for multiple transport methods, and potentially provide a leisure facility with walking and cycling trails into the Severn Vale and Forest of Dean Regional Parks. Connection to the M5 would also be logical, transforming the quality of road access to the Forest of Dean.”
