National Highways and MJ Church have started a £20m project to stabilise a 600m section of embankment on the M4 in Wiltshire following a landslip.
The work is intended to bring the hard shoulder on the eastbound approach to Swindon back into use between junctions 16 and 17. The landslip, identified during routine surveys, has made the hard shoulder unsafe and unusable.
Earthworks and bridge repairs
Contractors will move around 25,000 tonnes of earth before backfilling the embankment with 19,500 tonnes of locally sourced stone. MJ Church will reuse as much material from the landslip as possible, alongside recycled concrete produced at its crushing plant near Chippenham.
The embankment and verges must be stabilised before refurbishment work begins on four bridges in the same stretch of motorway, scheduled for autumn 2027. Barriers will also be upgraded as part of the wider works.
Chris Hilldrup, route manager at National Highways, said: “Many of the roads and bridges we manage were built around 60 years ago and are nearing the end of their life span, so we’re acting now and renewing them to prevent bigger problems further down the line.
“This £20m investment along the M4 in Wiltshire is a significant engineering undertaking. Once we have stabilised the embankment, we will refurbish the bridges and upgrade barriers to maintain the safety and reliability of this busy route for many years to come.”