If you travel this section on Friday afternoon or Saturdays, you will have plenty of time to marvel at the engineering of the structure as you crawl along at snails pace.
For 30 years this was on my daily commute. Yes it is a great bit of engineering. A few things to add: It's quite a twisty section of motorway as it clings to the side of the hill and in the middle of the winter with the rain lashing down and a westerly gale gusting at you from the side it can be a 'challenging' section to drive. And finally, whoever designed in the 4th lane from J19 really didn't think it through. because cars scream up the hill towards the split level bit in lane 4 only to find their carriageway disappears at the top so have to suddenly get into lane three which is already full of cars so they have to stop. And then lane 3 stops. And then lane 2 stops. Eventually lane 1 stops too and it all tails back to J16. Often, the best strategy is to get into lane 1 early and then sail past, waving at the stationary idiots.
@@Species1571it’s also meant to be ‘a-holes that try to be smart and leave it to the last moment to push in despite knowing the lanes narrow don’t deserve any consideration’ They have several signs warning of such and it is meant to be correct driving to merge in and not try to jump 20 cars ahead and push in.
@@xr6lad waiting till the last moment is how you are supposed to do it. Because that ensures the best flow. Of course that won't work if there are smug people in lane 2 who don't let people in because that would hurt their ego.
When you cross the "High/low bit" southbound it's the official beginning of your holiday. Driving down from the Midlands the view from the viaduct gives you your first glimpse of the sea!
I never realised how high that viaduct is. I used to work as a towtruck driver, and got sent out to pick someone up who had broken down on the southbound side. I'm not good with heights, and made the mistake of looking over the edge 😮 the customer ended up having to help me stand up as I'd gone very dizzy 😂
@@nathanlucas6465 As a regular user of the M5 in a truck, the only time my arse was twitching on that section was heading south at the time they were resurfacing lane 1. Obviously lane 2 was closed as well, so there I was, at high level in a truck cab in lane 3 with a shear drop to my right. I can tell you right now, I kept my eyes strictly ahead for the duration of that section!
@@Sarge084 the only time I've had that feeling while driving was getting stuck in an artic on the Severn bridge behind an accident. You could feel the bridge move each time a heavy went past the other way 😶
@@nathanlucas6465 I've taken a truck over on the Woolwich Free Ferry a few times, but the most memorable time was when I was first on, I drove right up to the barrier and all the way across the Thames I was looking straight down at the river swirling away in front of me!
My favourite bit of motorway. An elderly gentleman of my acquaintance, Mr Carr, was, I believe, one of the engineers who designed that stretch of motorway. He did a grand job.
The BBC did a write-up on this not too long ago with an original engineer (if not him, then another senior engineer), as well as an interview with a current day manager who oversees maintenance. Worth a read.
I was driving on that bit there and I looked out over the valley and a spitfire was flying straight towards me and pitched up right at the last second - amazing
I live on the hill opposite, one day I was walking my dog and got to witness my own private spitfire display taking place directly over me. It was one of the best air displays I have ever seen, possibly the same one that you saw.
Hi very informative information about the engineering feat around clevedon and gordano. The m6 in south cumbria is another way to head to blackpool and the south. The engineers constructing the m6 had an idea to build a tunnel but it was scrapped due to the astronomical cost of the construction works. That is why the motorway is undulating in mid and south cumbria. Great video sir.
I thought I'd never seen this viaduct before, but turns out I take the same picture of it every time I cycle to Clevedon. I thank the M5 for making the country lanes so peaceful.
I absolutely love this stretch of road. As a kid, we travelled from the North of England to Cornwall every year, this viaduct was a sign we were close. Didn't go back to Cornwall for 20 years, and memories came flooding back as soon as i saw it. Have been going back to Cornwall every year for the last 3 years since.
"Demolish most of Clevedon". That made me laugh and I live here 🤣 I drive over this viaduct nearly every date as I commute to Avonmouth and I always enjoy the view of a traffic jam above me as I fly north away from it all
One of them rare times they built something that was actually built, worked, has lasted and is still going strong, they need to find who the people were behind its' construction and learn from them on how to build infrastructure... :P
@@stevekelly5166- we don’t want anymore so called “smart” motorways thank you very much. The section around the Almondbury Interchange (junctions 19 to 20 on the M4 and 15 to 17 on the M5) are bad enough. It took well over two years of road works to install this junk causing traffic chaos and now you still get lots of congestion in the area. Even when the traffic level is not high, often the variable speed limit function is activated with 60, 50 or sometimes 40 MPH speed limits for no apparent reason. That includes late in the evening long after “rush hour”! That’s 33 overhead gantries of pain. And then there is the speed cameras... But there are only six emergency refuge areas for seven miles of motorway... What a waste of money.
@@Mark1024MAKFrankly it's not all a waste of money when the main issue with Motorway traffic in the first place is too many people don't know how to use them. The outer lanes are only meant for overtaking and all traffic should generally drive on the inside lane. But instead people treat those lanes like driving lanes and don't do the 70mph that is meant to keep traffic flow steady. Instead everyone is doing their own speed while lane hogging and that is the main cause of congestion in modern motorway driving.
@@Mark1024MAK I'm a Bristolian mate. I just said you cannot make it SMART when elevated. Like build another lane. An orange layby? I'm on your side. Now living near Newbury and the M4 here is whacky. It's SMART though! NOT! BTW who are "WE" you phuckwit?
I've been along that road many times. I'd argue it's the UK's finest piece of road infrastructure. It's quite remarkable how they've made managed to construct and fit a motorway in certain places.
A friend was one of the scraper drivers for Blackwells on this section, scraping the blasted material either side of the raised section. Shift work, and he reckoned it was the most dangerous job he ever did with the danger of plunging down the hill if the machine slid. RIP Jimmy.
Blackwells - theres a blast from the mast. They were the earthwork contractors on a job i did at Costain back in the 80s. Hopefully they are still at it...
i.e., they sit in lane 3 (with nothing in lane 2) slowing right down until they're matching the speed of HGV's by the time they're at the top of the bank, then get pissy with people passing on the inside. I drive up there every day too 😂
I work in highway inspection and did an extensive series of refurbishment surveys along the 5 or so bridges that are all fairly close together along that strech, including wynhol viaduct, as I assume there will be an extensive refurbishment scheme coming up in the near future. During this inspection i got inside the voids in the deck boxes. There is a very extensive colony of bats in there which affected what work we could do and when
My late father was one of the surveyors who worked on this stretch of the M5 construction project, and it was indeed the reason my family moved to the area from Yorkshire where I was born. My mother still lives in North Somerset and I now live only a little further south.
Thank you so much for looking at this. Living in the south west I have used this section of the M5 all my life and always marveled at it from above. It is great to see it from below.
Thanks Jon. I've been along the M5 there quite a few times and noticed that the carriageway was at two different levels, especially where there are the long stretches of terracing. This is the first time I've been able to appreciate the viaduct because you are across it in a couple of seconds and can't see much from the road.
As a former resident of Clevedon, I can’t believe you suggesting demotion. It’s not Slough you know. The view as you drop down towards J20 is fabulous too. Weston and the Quantocks and Exmoor over Bridgewater bay. You always have plenty of time to look with all the congestion on the section from J19 to J23 all summer 😂
As someone who lives near Plymouth, this part of the motorway always peaked my interest when I was little (and still does!). Please make a video about the A38 Orange Elephant!
One of my favourites. Great views of it from the B3124 which has recently been resurfaced on some proper european spec tarmac, making it a great road to drive!
I used to live close by this a I learned to drive shortly after this was completed. After passing my test, I went straight here for my first solo run. Although I don't live here now, whenever I drive this section it brings back memories of that one day.
Travelled along that stretch of road countless times as a passenger when I was a kid back in the 70s and 80s and the memories all came back watching this video.
Oooooh! You've made it to the South-West, does that mean there's a possibility of you doing the A38 holiday route, maybe from Birmingham to Weston -super-Mare!? The A38 was our family route in the 60's as we travelled from Worcestershire to Auntie Hannah's caravan at Brean Sands. I was still at school when they built the M5 past, what is now Gordano Services, i went with my father to Portishead and we had to cross the construction area on a temporary road while Junction 19 was being built. Quite a few years later and I would find myself travelling the M5 along the Split Level several times a week. Oh go on Jon, make my day and do the A38, you won't regret it!
Have done a few trips over this in past years, by Motobike in good weather and also awful wind and rain, that made my sphincter pucker up, not knowing which lane I was going to be in at any given time. To driving down it in a V6 Rover 827 with a Caravan on the back and a windsurfer on the roof, surfing holiday in Cornwall. Lubbly jubbly! Nice 'UP' John, great view with the drone 👍
That was interesting, thank you. I have a copy of Motor magazine from January 1973 which includes a progress update on the M5. It appears that the motorway including the viaduct was completed by then, but delays with the Avonmouth bridge meant that route out of Bristol would not be completed until well into 1974.
When driving Southbound always look out for the single house on the left - up the hillside - tucked away in the woods. They must have an amazing view of both carriageways - but must miss the beautiful view they had before it was built.
Not just me and my other half then ! Strange how these little "Landmarks" are reassuring parts of the journey that we use to denote how far we have come or how far we need to go from those points. There's a large hill to the right on the southbound journey ( can't remember whereabouts now), that my other half always - and I mean ALWAYS, tells me when we pass it, that as a child she thought it was the hill from "Watership Down" !
Me three! Been up and down this bit since it was built and always looked for the house as I thought it would be great to live there. Now as the driver it's a bit trickier to spot....
I'm always driving and haven't seen it for years, I thought that it had been knocked down. My wife said that it wasn't there but she is as blind as a bat without he glasses.
I first remember going on this bit of motorway in about 1974 when I was about 8 and it has amazed me ever since I think the main reason for this is that I know I will soon be in Devon or Cornwall on my holidays something I still look forward to & knowing I am on this stretch of motorway I’m getting closer!!!
Thank you for the wonderful views and also making me realise how old I am. I worked on the construction of this section of the M5 motorway which was built by Cementation Construction. The actual construction process of building Whynol was more complex than it would be today as there were no precast units and the whole structure was built from formwork (scaffolding and plywood moulds) , hand fixed steel reinforcement, and ready mixed concrete brought to the site from local batching plant. During construction the whole structure was quite flexible ( until the deck was complete end to end) so when the incoming loaded truckmixers braked to discharge , the viaduct would gently sway along the line of the motorway. This structure is a credit to the engineers that designed and built it and especially the level of materials quality control and testing. The farm building beneath the viaduct was used as the site offices during construction.
Apart from demolishing Clevedon, the other reason not to go through that 'nice flat bit' is that it's a National Nature Reserve. Back in 1971 it was designated as a SSSI, which was probably another reason that steered the planners away from the valley and onto the hillside. It's certainly ended up being more ecologically friendly as a result. There's quite a few footpaths - and footbridges - that cross this section of motorway, with two going over and a couple going under the viaduct section. The footbridge that crosses over the top of the split level section is not great if you don't like heights! Whereas the footpaths under the viaducts really allow the scale of the engineering to be appreciated. When driving northbound, just before you leave the viaduct, a metal access door is visible in the base of the southvbound viaduct, under the carriageway. I've always wondered whats behind that door, and how often people go in there...
I've also wondered if building a motorway on such terrain would have a massive flood risk impact, given the earthworks involved, and the surrounding geography
My favourite stretch of motorway. Go to see my daughter and future son in law regularly from the Weston entrance through to the Cribbs Causeway exit, and actually look forward to the motorway drive! PS then the bridge over the Avon is a bonus....
There is a section of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in Colorado very similar to this. It may even have been inspired at least partly by it.The road was built through a narrow canyon that already had a two lane highway running through. They used the already existing highway as the eastbound lanes and basically hung the westbound lanes on the cliff above. It's a gorgeous drive and an engineering feat.
Brilliant video Jon! The split levels! I don’t know how many times over the last 3 decades I’ve driven this - but it’s in the hundreds if not thousands! It’s always fascinated me - and now I know more. So thanks Buddy! 👍
That got our interest as we live very close. At 1:02 on the map you can see our town, Nailsea, which is about a mile from Tickenham. You can see Tickenham from Nailsea as Nailsea sits in a bowl and in the past the Clevedon to Nailsea planes were flooded by a tidal wave. When you drive out of Nailsea, you go up a road call Wraxall Hill that takes you over the top of Tickenham Ridge. Very often it is covered in mist and fog at the top. You drop back down once you get towards Portbury and, of course, out of the mist and fog. It really is very beautiful up there, with scenic walks. We have been along that stretch of motorway so many times, and it is something to see. The land falls away and stretches right out..... of course, unless it is foggy and raining.
Awesome engineering. After driving many times on the viaduct, I recently cycled the Clevedon to Bristol cycleway along the base of the viaduct which presents a totally different perspective.
An interesting thought which might not have been considered. If there was to be an accident, this type of layered system avoids seeing the other carriageway and avoids traffic slowing down to get a bloody look at any carnage. 😮
Thanks for making this, as I'm one of those who do marvel at it on every holiday trip to South Devon with boat on tow. Amazing bit of engineering and always a pleasure to drive on.
Always a highlight of our journey from Brum to visit family down in Watchet/Williton/Washford and always makes us feel happy when we are on it and a milestone in the monotonous drive down. As Richard Hammond calls it, the "High/low road".
I lived for many years a short distance from here so this was my backyard. The brideway you stood on takes you to the top of the ridge and Cadbury Camp, the other way onto the Old Clevedon Road or over to The Old Weston Drove. It cost less then £2 million to build, what an investment.
Excellent Jon, always wondered although I kinda guessed gradient was the reason. Like thousands of others, this stretch always has a positive emotive plus for me. Nice one 👍(no pasty emoji)
Drove over this viaduct heading southbound last Saturday for our holiday in Devon/Cornwall and this was my favourite part of a drive that was mostly spent sitting in traffic jams all the way from the North West. Get to go over it again on Saturday, northbound this time.
I'm glad that you came back and did this after it was missed in the Secrets of the M5 video. And it's known as the disappearing road, or it was every year we went on holiday to Weston in the late 70's and now I'm in my 50s every time I use it, without fail, it's the Disappearaing road still ;)
@@JoshCarterWeb it's not, officially, or unofficially. It's just what we used to call it as excitable children on the way to our holiday in Weston. It has always stuck.
I've always looked out for this bit of the M5 for the past 40 years, and also the Camel peering over the M5 at Bridgwater which i think been removed now.
Thanks for highlighting this hidden gem of British transport infrastructure, I’m glad we’ve got it. It’s a mini version of the fabulous elevated Italian viaducts on the A15 Autostrada that twists and turns its way over the Apuan Alps from Sarzana to Parma… that’s definitely a Great Italian Road Journey to consider.
Travelled that route many times, over the years (my mom lived in cornwll) about 10 years ago i was doing a filming project and had the chance to fly in a small personal plane along that very stretch of road, so i could film the car travelling along it.
I'm sure in a Smith and Sniff Podcast, Johnny Smith, of of that Late brake show, fifth gear, and all that, mentioned that his father was one of the engineers in charge of that project. I drive over that twice a night in my truck, and often wondered what it looked like from underneath.
I notice it, been across it MANY times as we had family living in somerset as a child and now I do on my travels as a comedian. Beautiful always a highlight of the trip ''Oh the split and bridges bit'' as I've always known it. :)
Absolutely fine John Thanks for asking great video so hit the button specifically for that and I am subscribed and that is wicked sweet awesome. Keep em coming 😎
I've been along only a few times, but yes I did notice the split carriageways, was curious about it but never looked into it. So good to know now, thanks 😎
Great to get the background on it. I can remember the first time i went over it as a kid going on hols, frightened me somewhat, being so far up, stange how i never got the same problem with the Severn Bridge. Now on the odd occasions i drive it, i find myself wanting to be the passenger to take in those views.
Also of note in the area is the huge bridge carrying the motorway from Junction 19 (Gordano services) north into Bristol. An immense span high above the docks.
Towing a boat home last August our Trailer tyre went and we were broke down on this stretch for five hours, as soon as your video started I felt anxiety sickness again, it was so scary being on the side of the motorway with the constant noise, but getting to see the road up close and personal, it is amazing, perched on the hill side
If you travel this section on Friday afternoon or Saturdays, you will have plenty of time to marvel at the engineering of the structure as you crawl along at snails pace.
For 30 years this was on my daily commute. Yes it is a great bit of engineering. A few things to add: It's quite a twisty section of motorway as it clings to the side of the hill and in the middle of the winter with the rain lashing down and a westerly gale gusting at you from the side it can be a 'challenging' section to drive. And finally, whoever designed in the 4th lane from J19 really didn't think it through. because cars scream up the hill towards the split level bit in lane 4 only to find their carriageway disappears at the top so have to suddenly get into lane three which is already full of cars so they have to stop. And then lane 3 stops. And then lane 2 stops. Eventually lane 1 stops too and it all tails back to J16. Often, the best strategy is to get into lane 1 early and then sail past, waving at the stationary idiots.
If you know you know 👍🏼
Meeeee 😁
Haha. Smug lane one cruising ftw 😂
It's supposed to be merge-in-turn in that situation.
@@Species1571it’s also meant to be ‘a-holes that try to be smart and leave it to the last moment to push in despite knowing the lanes narrow don’t deserve any consideration’ They have several signs warning of such and it is meant to be correct driving to merge in and not try to jump 20 cars ahead and push in.
@@xr6lad waiting till the last moment is how you are supposed to do it.
Because that ensures the best flow. Of course that won't work if there are smug people in lane 2 who don't let people in because that would hurt their ego.
When you cross the "High/low bit" southbound it's the official beginning of your holiday. Driving down from the Midlands the view from the viaduct gives you your first glimpse of the sea!
Glad someone else has picked up on what a magnificent piece of engineering and design this part of the M5 is.
I never realised how high that viaduct is. I used to work as a towtruck driver, and got sent out to pick someone up who had broken down on the southbound side. I'm not good with heights, and made the mistake of looking over the edge 😮 the customer ended up having to help me stand up as I'd gone very dizzy 😂
Did he tow you home and get his money back?
Recovery needed to recover.
@@nathanlucas6465 As a regular user of the M5 in a truck, the only time my arse was twitching on that section was heading south at the time they were resurfacing lane 1. Obviously lane 2 was closed as well, so there I was, at high level in a truck cab in lane 3 with a shear drop to my right. I can tell you right now, I kept my eyes strictly ahead for the duration of that section!
@@Sarge084 the only time I've had that feeling while driving was getting stuck in an artic on the Severn bridge behind an accident. You could feel the bridge move each time a heavy went past the other way 😶
@@nathanlucas6465 I've taken a truck over on the Woolwich Free Ferry a few times, but the most memorable time was when I was first on, I drove right up to the barrier and all the way across the Thames I was looking straight down at the river swirling away in front of me!
I liked this video so I clicked on the button specifically for that.
I liked your comment so much that I clicked on the button specifically for that.
@@davidyardley512ditto
CLEVER
I LIKE CLICK
@@davidyardley512 I also liked your comment so clicked on the button specifically for that.
My favourite bit of motorway.
An elderly gentleman of my acquaintance, Mr Carr, was, I believe, one of the engineers who designed that stretch of motorway. He did a grand job.
Some nominative determinism there!
I hope his first name is Laurie.
@@DavidOfWhitehills I hope he had Dutch heritage and his full name was Laurie van Carr
The BBC did a write-up on this not too long ago with an original engineer (if not him, then another senior engineer), as well as an interview with a current day manager who oversees maintenance. Worth a read.
Alan or Jimmy?
I was driving on that bit there and I looked out over the valley and a spitfire was flying straight towards me and pitched up right at the last second - amazing
You're lucky it wasn't a messchershmitt.
@@DavidOfWhitehills you bet!
I live on the hill opposite, one day I was walking my dog and got to witness my own private spitfire display taking place directly over me. It was one of the best air displays I have ever seen, possibly the same one that you saw.
@@DavidOfWhitehillsnice one😂😂
@@senseofthecommonman very likely! About 20 years ago I think ..
I always feel like I’m properly on holiday once I’ve driven over this part of motorway to Devon
Me too, from the Midlands, it means I've made it
You know you live in a horrible boring country when was that excites you lmao
I'm in Cornwall, same but going the other way
I used to work in Clevedon and I always felt like I was properly at work once I've driven over this part of Motorway.
Hi very informative information about the engineering feat around clevedon and gordano. The m6 in south cumbria is another way to head to blackpool and the south. The engineers constructing the m6 had an idea to build a tunnel but it was scrapped due to the astronomical cost of the construction works. That is why the motorway is undulating in mid and south cumbria. Great video sir.
I thought I'd never seen this viaduct before, but turns out I take the same picture of it every time I cycle to Clevedon. I thank the M5 for making the country lanes so peaceful.
I absolutely love this stretch of road.
As a kid, we travelled from the North of England to Cornwall every year, this viaduct was a sign we were close.
Didn't go back to Cornwall for 20 years, and memories came flooding back as soon as i saw it. Have been going back to Cornwall every year for the last 3 years since.
As a Bristolian, you were not close at all. Remember the smell at Bridgewater? Bet you don't. Celophane.
@@stevekelly5166ahhh Bisto! Oh no, err,
British Cellophane Works.
Yum!?
Anyway time and distance are relative.
@@stevekelly5166 Does "Celophane" smell, then?
@mikeoglen6848 the end product might not, but the factory stank.
"Demolish most of Clevedon". That made me laugh and I live here 🤣
I drive over this viaduct nearly every date as I commute to Avonmouth and I always enjoy the view of a traffic jam above me as I fly north away from it all
I don’t understand the hate for clevedon i always thought it was rather nice . Lol
Some beautiful shots there buddy, nice vid 👍
One of them rare times they built something that was actually built, worked, has lasted and is still going strong, they need to find who the people were behind its' construction and learn from them on how to build infrastructure... :P
You can't widen it though and make it smart. @twocvbloke You got two CVs on the hob?
@@stevekelly5166- we don’t want anymore so called “smart” motorways thank you very much. The section around the Almondbury Interchange (junctions 19 to 20 on the M4 and 15 to 17 on the M5) are bad enough. It took well over two years of road works to install this junk causing traffic chaos and now you still get lots of congestion in the area. Even when the traffic level is not high, often the variable speed limit function is activated with 60, 50 or sometimes 40 MPH speed limits for no apparent reason. That includes late in the evening long after “rush hour”! That’s 33 overhead gantries of pain. And then there is the speed cameras... But there are only six emergency refuge areas for seven miles of motorway... What a waste of money.
@@Mark1024MAKFrankly it's not all a waste of money when the main issue with Motorway traffic in the first place is too many people don't know how to use them. The outer lanes are only meant for overtaking and all traffic should generally drive on the inside lane. But instead people treat those lanes like driving lanes and don't do the 70mph that is meant to keep traffic flow steady. Instead everyone is doing their own speed while lane hogging and that is the main cause of congestion in modern motorway driving.
Laurie van Carr was the engineer apparently 🤷♂
@@Mark1024MAK I'm a Bristolian mate. I just said you cannot make it SMART when elevated. Like build another lane. An orange layby? I'm on your side. Now living near Newbury and the M4 here is whacky. It's SMART though! NOT! BTW who are "WE" you phuckwit?
Wow, ive travelled on that hundreds of times but never knew what it was called. I always called it the split level bit. Thanks
Over 50 years old and still a feat of fantastic engineering.
I've been along that road many times. I'd argue it's the UK's finest piece of road infrastructure. It's quite remarkable how they've made managed to construct and fit a motorway in certain places.
A friend was one of the scraper drivers for Blackwells on this section, scraping the blasted material either side of the raised section. Shift work, and he reckoned it was the most dangerous job he ever did with the danger of plunging down the hill if the machine slid. RIP Jimmy.
Blackwells - theres a blast from the mast. They were the earthwork contractors on a job i did at Costain back in the 80s. Hopefully they are still at it...
Remember that section of motorway being quite exciting when we used to go down to Cornwall every year in the Morris 1100. Wonderful!
Thanks for appreciating the engineering!
I am ever impressed by how you can make something seemingly boring sound incredible and awesome. Keep up the good work!
I’ve always admired this piece of engineering.
I live next to J21. Drive this daily. Amazes me how many people don't know how 4 lanes can actually merge into 3
Came here to say the same 😂
Me to 🤩
Wait a second. You mean to tell me that some British drivers act the same way at home as they do in Florida whilst on vacation?
@@haggielady it's not a Friday afternoon in Somerset without at least one lane closed
i.e., they sit in lane 3 (with nothing in lane 2) slowing right down until they're matching the speed of HGV's by the time they're at the top of the bank, then get pissy with people passing on the inside. I drive up there every day too 😂
I’ve always loved this section of the M5, this is where Cornish holidays begin.
I work in highway inspection and did an extensive series of refurbishment surveys along the 5 or so bridges that are all fairly close together along that strech, including wynhol viaduct, as I assume there will be an extensive refurbishment scheme coming up in the near future. During this inspection i got inside the voids in the deck boxes. There is a very extensive colony of bats in there which affected what work we could do and when
Have you got any pictures?
Could any level of inspection be achieved by drone nowadays?
Or by bat?
I absolutely love driving this section of motorway. Always on my way to a holiday in Devon or Cornwall.
I’m not from the UK, but I did notice the split level bit when I was on a road trip in Cornwall about 10 years ago. Great views.
I love driving this part of the M5, especially southbound and look forward to it each time. Thank you for covering this.
My late father was one of the surveyors who worked on this stretch of the M5 construction project, and it was indeed the reason my family moved to the area from Yorkshire where I was born. My mother still lives in North Somerset and I now live only a little further south.
Thank you so much for looking at this. Living in the south west I have used this section of the M5 all my life and always marveled at it from above. It is great to see it from below.
Thanks Jon. I've been along the M5 there quite a few times and noticed that the carriageway was at two different levels, especially where there are the long stretches of terracing. This is the first time I've been able to appreciate the viaduct because you are across it in a couple of seconds and can't see much from the road.
The extraordinary part of Richard Hammond's "High Low Bit Top Gear Bolivia Special" rambling!..
As someone else who lives in the midlands and holidayed in south Devon a lot as a kid, I related wholeheartedly to that rambling.
@@IDeltic those highs and lows of holidaying in the south west of England ....well done!..
Ohhh - The Shelf! Probably one of my favourite sections of motorway...
I always enjoy driving or riding along this section of the motorway, fantastic bit of engineering
As a former resident of Clevedon, I can’t believe you suggesting demotion. It’s not Slough you know. The view as you drop down towards J20 is fabulous too. Weston and the Quantocks and Exmoor over Bridgewater bay. You always have plenty of time to look with all the congestion on the section from J19 to J23 all summer 😂
Tut tut. It’s Bridgwater (no ‘e’) didn’t live here very long i guess
I go mountain biking underneath it ..... really pretty impressive when you look up. Always worth pausing for.
Nice to see you in our neck of the woods 🙂 BEST VIDEO EVER 🙂
As someone who lives near Plymouth, this part of the motorway always peaked my interest when I was little (and still does!). Please make a video about the A38 Orange Elephant!
*piqued your interest
@@VictorianDad Oops, disappointed in myself! Thanks for correcting
One of my favourites. Great views of it from the B3124 which has recently been resurfaced on some proper european spec tarmac, making it a great road to drive!
I used to live close by this a I learned to drive shortly after this was completed. After passing my test, I went straight here for my first solo run. Although I don't live here now, whenever I drive this section it brings back memories of that one day.
I love getting to see these POIs I’ve been seeing on my travels featured in your vids. Really enjoying my new job as a long distance trucker ☺️
One of the better bits of motorway construction. Ive traveled it many times. 50 years old though!!! Wow.
Travelled along that stretch of road countless times as a passenger when I was a kid back in the 70s and 80s and the memories all came back watching this video.
Always used to sing a Wurzels song driving over that
🎼Off we go again-o!
🎼To Easton in Gordano
Oooooh! You've made it to the South-West, does that mean there's a possibility of you doing the A38 holiday route, maybe from Birmingham to Weston -super-Mare!?
The A38 was our family route in the 60's as we travelled from Worcestershire to Auntie Hannah's caravan at Brean Sands.
I was still at school when they built the M5 past, what is now Gordano Services, i went with my father to Portishead and we had to cross the construction area on a temporary road while Junction 19 was being built. Quite a few years later and I would find myself travelling the M5 along the Split Level several times a week.
Oh go on Jon, make my day and do the A38, you won't regret it!
Have done a few trips over this in past years, by Motobike in good weather and also awful wind and rain, that made my sphincter pucker up, not knowing which lane I was going to be in at any given time. To driving down it in a V6 Rover 827 with a Caravan on the back and a windsurfer on the roof, surfing holiday in Cornwall. Lubbly jubbly!
Nice 'UP' John, great view with the drone 👍
That was interesting, thank you. I have a copy of Motor magazine from January 1973 which includes a progress update on the M5. It appears that the motorway including the viaduct was completed by then, but delays with the Avonmouth bridge meant that route out of Bristol would not be completed until well into 1974.
Yep, I can just about remember coming off the M5 and having to use the A38.
When driving Southbound always look out for the single house on the left - up the hillside - tucked away in the woods. They must have an amazing view of both carriageways - but must miss the beautiful view they had before it was built.
Not just me and my other half then ! Strange how these little "Landmarks" are reassuring parts of the journey that we use to denote how far we have come or how far we need to go from those points.
There's a large hill to the right on the southbound journey ( can't remember whereabouts now), that my other half always - and I mean ALWAYS, tells me when we pass it, that as a child she thought it was the hill from "Watership Down" !
Me three! Been up and down this bit since it was built and always looked for the house as I thought it would be great to live there. Now as the driver it's a bit trickier to spot....
I'm always driving and haven't seen it for years, I thought that it had been knocked down. My wife said that it wasn't there but she is as blind as a bat without he glasses.
I first remember going on this bit of motorway in about 1974 when I was about 8 and it has amazed me ever since I think the main reason for this is that I know I will soon be in Devon or Cornwall on my holidays something I still look forward to & knowing I am on this stretch of motorway I’m getting closer!!!
Thank you for the wonderful views and also making me realise how old I am.
I worked on the construction of this section of the M5 motorway which was built by Cementation Construction.
The actual construction process of building Whynol was more complex than it would be today as there were no precast units and the whole structure was built from formwork (scaffolding and plywood moulds) , hand fixed steel reinforcement, and ready mixed concrete brought to the site from local batching plant.
During construction the whole structure was quite flexible ( until the deck was complete end to end) so when the incoming loaded truckmixers braked to discharge , the viaduct would gently sway along the line of the motorway.
This structure is a credit to the engineers that designed and built it and especially the level of materials quality control and testing.
The farm building beneath the viaduct was used as the site offices during construction.
fascinating insight, thanks!
Apart from demolishing Clevedon, the other reason not to go through that 'nice flat bit' is that it's a National Nature Reserve. Back in 1971 it was designated as a SSSI, which was probably another reason that steered the planners away from the valley and onto the hillside. It's certainly ended up being more ecologically friendly as a result.
There's quite a few footpaths - and footbridges - that cross this section of motorway, with two going over and a couple going under the viaduct section. The footbridge that crosses over the top of the split level section is not great if you don't like heights! Whereas the footpaths under the viaducts really allow the scale of the engineering to be appreciated.
When driving northbound, just before you leave the viaduct, a metal access door is visible in the base of the southvbound viaduct, under the carriageway. I've always wondered whats behind that door, and how often people go in there...
Thanks for the memory, that door, me too!
I've also wondered if building a motorway on such terrain would have a massive flood risk impact, given the earthworks involved, and the surrounding geography
I pity people whose houses are nearby and suffer from noise pollution every day of the year. Relentless noise.
My favourite stretch of motorway. Go to see my daughter and future son in law regularly from the Weston entrance through to the Cribbs Causeway exit, and actually look forward to the motorway drive! PS then the bridge over the Avon is a bonus....
I’ve been driven over that what feels like hundreds of times and I’ve always found stunning. Excellent video!!!
Love the view from this part of the Motorway..
Fantastic work as always Sir.
There is a section of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in Colorado very similar to this. It may even have been inspired at least partly by it.The road was built through a narrow canyon that already had a two lane highway running through. They used the already existing highway as the eastbound lanes and basically hung the westbound lanes on the cliff above. It's a gorgeous drive and an engineering feat.
I do notice and always marvel in the engineering. Thanks for the vid Jon. Demolishing clevedon not being a bad thing made me chuckle.
Actually, over the years I have continually noticed, and was very pleased to find your video to offer explanation and history. 50 years! Thank you.
Brilliant video Jon! The split levels! I don’t know how many times over the last 3 decades I’ve driven this - but it’s in the hundreds if not thousands! It’s always fascinated me - and now I know more. So thanks Buddy! 👍
I’ve traveled this road loads of times , always impressed. Never knew it was the same age as me !
A bit of motorway that I actually 'enjoy'. Thanks John - keep up the good work.
Always loved this bit of the M5, known affectionally to my family as 'the wall'. It means home in Devon isn't too far away.
That got our interest as we live very close. At 1:02 on the map you can see our town, Nailsea, which is about a mile from Tickenham. You can see Tickenham from Nailsea as Nailsea sits in a bowl and in the past the Clevedon to Nailsea planes were flooded by a tidal wave.
When you drive out of Nailsea, you go up a road call Wraxall Hill that takes you over the top of Tickenham Ridge. Very often it is covered in mist and fog at the top. You drop back down once you get towards Portbury and, of course, out of the mist and fog. It really is very beautiful up there, with scenic walks.
We have been along that stretch of motorway so many times, and it is something to see. The land falls away and stretches right out..... of course, unless it is foggy and raining.
Awesome engineering. After driving many times on the viaduct, I recently cycled the Clevedon to Bristol cycleway along the base of the viaduct which presents a totally different perspective.
An interesting thought which might not have been considered. If there was to be an accident, this type of layered system avoids seeing the other carriageway and avoids traffic slowing down to get a bloody look at any carnage. 😮
Thanks for making this, as I'm one of those who do marvel at it on every holiday trip to South Devon with boat on tow. Amazing bit of engineering and always a pleasure to drive on.
Thanks for featuring this. When driving to Cornwall, this is the best bit, the part of the journey to savour. I thought I was the only one.
Always a highlight of our journey from Brum to visit family down in Watchet/Williton/Washford and always makes us feel happy when we are on it and a milestone in the monotonous drive down.
As Richard Hammond calls it, the "High/low road".
Proof that prestressed concrete can be beautiful. 👌
I love a bit of pre-stressed concrete
@@elelegidosf9707 Oer!
No need to get stressed about it.
Beautiful?
Yes beautiful. Sydney Opera House also made of pre stressed concrete and also beautiful.
Nice engineering, good looking viaduct.
I lived for many years a short distance from here so this was my backyard. The brideway you stood on takes you to the top of the ridge and Cadbury Camp, the other way onto the Old Clevedon Road or over to The Old Weston Drove. It cost less then £2 million to build, what an investment.
Excellent Jon, always wondered although I kinda guessed gradient was the reason. Like thousands of others, this stretch always has a positive emotive plus for me. Nice one 👍(no pasty emoji)
You are right, I have driven down that road hundreds of times and never even noticed.
I love the view everytime I go down this way.
Drove over this viaduct heading southbound last Saturday for our holiday in Devon/Cornwall and this was my favourite part of a drive that was mostly spent sitting in traffic jams all the way from the North West. Get to go over it again on Saturday, northbound this time.
Great video John, what an incredible piece of engineering 👌👍😀
I'm glad that you came back and did this after it was missed in the Secrets of the M5 video. And it's known as the disappearing road, or it was every year we went on holiday to Weston in the late 70's and now I'm in my 50s every time I use it, without fail, it's the Disappearaing road still ;)
Why is it known as that?
@@JoshCarterWeb it's not, officially, or unofficially. It's just what we used to call it as excitable children on the way to our holiday in Weston. It has always stuck.
This is my favourite stretch of motorway in the UK! Glad to find more info about it
I've always looked out for this bit of the M5 for the past 40 years, and also the Camel peering over the M5 at Bridgwater which i think been removed now.
Saying that you wont notice is absurd. Its really unique and looks really cool when youre on it
Thanks for highlighting this hidden gem of British transport infrastructure, I’m glad we’ve got it. It’s a mini version of the fabulous elevated Italian viaducts on the A15 Autostrada that twists and turns its way over the Apuan Alps from Sarzana to Parma… that’s definitely a Great Italian Road Journey to consider.
We've always called it the split levels, spent many an hour stuck up there on my way home from work during silly season!
For sure one of your best videos yet!
I have travelled on it many times and always enjoyed the views 🙂
Travelled that route many times, over the years (my mom lived in cornwll) about 10 years ago i was doing a filming project and had the chance to fly in a small personal plane along that very stretch of road, so i could film the car travelling along it.
Love a local video, and great to see so many angles of the viaduct that I never normally see! Great video!
we were stuck in crash traffic here the other day, best spot to get stuck, the view was amazing
I'm sure in a Smith and Sniff Podcast, Johnny Smith, of of that Late brake show, fifth gear, and all that, mentioned that his father was one of the engineers in charge of that project.
I drive over that twice a night in my truck, and often wondered what it looked like from underneath.
I remember driving along this, several times as a kid, now I live in Canada, approximately 3800 miles from there
That's always been a favourite part of the M-5
I notice it, been across it MANY times as we had family living in somerset as a child and now I do on my travels as a comedian. Beautiful always a highlight of the trip ''Oh the split and bridges bit'' as I've always known it. :)
It’s so elegant!
It’s a statement of benevolent government through strategic planning!!!
Thing of beauty IMO!
Absolutely fine John Thanks for asking great video so hit the button specifically for that and I am subscribed and that is wicked sweet awesome. Keep em coming 😎
Its amazing. It doesn't even look like a UK highway.
Great views on the way down to Devon. The view from the bridge over Avonmouth Dock just before The Wynhol Viaduct is cool too.
I've been along only a few times, but yes I did notice the split carriageways, was curious about it but never looked into it. So good to know now, thanks 😎
It is a clever piece of civil engineering I travelled over it several times
Brutalist construction at its best! Good work (as usual) fella!
Great to get the background on it. I can remember the first time i went over it as a kid going on hols, frightened me somewhat, being so far up, stange how i never got the same problem with the Severn Bridge. Now on the odd occasions i drive it, i find myself wanting to be the passenger to take in those views.
Also of note in the area is the huge bridge carrying the motorway from Junction 19 (Gordano services) north into Bristol. An immense span high above the docks.
Thank you so much for this, I love this stretch of motorway and am planning a visit to it in September. Cracking video
Towing a boat home last August our Trailer tyre went and we were broke down on this stretch for five hours, as soon as your video started I felt anxiety sickness again, it was so scary being on the side of the motorway with the constant noise, but getting to see the road up close and personal, it is amazing, perched on the hill side