The Brynglas tunnels on the M4 in Newport will be closing nightly from today for 18-months of maintenance work.
The M4 is scheduled to be closed between junctions 25A and 26 from 8pm to 6am on up to five nights per week. The closures are set to last until at least February 2018.
The closures should only affect traffic in one direction, although at times both tunnels may be closed.
Newport’s A48 Southern Distributor Road will be used for diversions and will be in place between junctions 24 and 28 of the M4. However local traffic will be allowed to travel up to junctions 25a and 26 in order to access local routes.
Commenting on the works, Economy and Infrastructure Secretary Ken Skates said: “The M4 is of vital importance to the Welsh economy and this maintenance to the Brynglas Tunnels forms part of our ongoing commitment to improving the motorway.
“The timing of this work is designed to ensure that it’s carried out safely and as quickly as reasonably possible, with minimal possible disruption to road users.
“Whilst such work will always be necessary, it’s clear that improvements to the current M4 alone will not resolve the wider, long term issues surrounding the congestion on the M4 around Newport. I’d like to be very clear that tackling these wider long term issues remains a top priority and I hope to be in a position to make an announcement to this end soon.”