A48 closed 'until further notice' after lorry spills sugar all over carriageway

A road near Chepstow has been closed since Friday 15 December due to a sticky spillage. 

It follows a lorry crashing into a rail bridge on Friday on the A48 between Lydney and Chepstow.

The HGV was carrying glucose, a type of sugar, and it “shed a large amount” of the sticky liquid across the carriageway according to Gloucestershire County Council. 

A council spokesperson said: “We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused by this extended emergency road closure. We have been working tirelessly to reopen the road.

“Our teams have worked throughout the weekend to get the road reopened. The road surface has proved extremely difficult to clear due to the nature of the spillage which means it needs to be resurfaced and Network Rail safety inspections needed on the bridge.” 

Resurfacing work is being done overnight on Monday 18 December but reopening will depend on a further safety inspection by Network Rail. 

Diversions are in place and the council will issue an update when the road is reopened. The spokesperson said: “We appreciate everyone’s patience while we deal with this unprecedented incident.”