Thursday 8th September 1966

The Severn Bridge, spanning the River Severn and River Wye between Aust, South Gloucestershire (just north of Bristol) in England, and Chepstow, Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, Gloucestershire, a peninsula between the two rivers, was opened by the Queen. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and Wales and took three and half years to construct at a cost of £8 million. From 1966 to 1996, the bridge carried the M4 motorway. On completion of the Second Severn Crossing, the motorway from Olveston (England) to Magor (Wales) was renamed the M48. The bridge was granted Grade I listed status in November 1999.