Major link road to motorway used by 90k daily ‘closed until further notice’ as floods force drivers onto long diversion

A MAJOR motorway nexus roadworthy has been closed "until further notice" owed to flooding, forcing drivers onto a lengthy diversion.

The engaged way is presently submerged nether astir 8ft of water, rendering it wholly impassable.

Motorists successful the country are being warned of long delays arsenic postulation bound for 1 of the UK's astir utilized motorways is squeezed onto smaller roads.

Britain has been battered by astir a month's-worth of rainfall successful the past week alone, with arsenic galore arsenic 17 progressive upwind warnings astatine 1 time.

There person been varying degrees of flooding crossed overmuch of the country, arsenic good arsenic a "mini tornado" spotted successful Luton.

And a caller Met Office yellowish informing for a ample conception of the East Coast has near galore fearing much to come, with entire towns perchance "cut off".

Just yesterday we reported that a large A-road successful Wiltshire had been shut down acknowledgment to flooding and present another, adjacent much important way has been hit.

National Highways has confirmed that the A421 successful Bedfordshire has been near unusable aft a spell of "torrential rain".

The roadworthy acts arsenic an important nexus to the A6 successful Bedford, connecting the country with the M1, which carries astir 140,000 vehicles a day.

Around 90,000 usage the A421 daily, with a ample fig carrying connected to the motorway itself.

Water levels of implicit 8ft were recorded connected the roadworthy implicit the play and the roadworthy remains closed today.

National Highways workers are presently trying to pump the h2o disconnected the road, but determination is nary connection connected however agelong this volition take.

Officials volition besides person to retrieve 3 vehicles that were left abandoned successful the floodwater earlier the closure tin beryllium lifted.

Two diversion routes person been announced arsenic follows:

Northbound traffic

• From the M1 J13 instrumentality Bedford Road northbound towards Ampthill/Ridgmont.
• Travel northbound connected Bedford Road for astir 7 miles, continuing arsenic it transitions into Woburn Road and passing through Brogborough and Marston Moretaine, to the Marsh Leys junction roundabout with the A6/A421.
• From present you tin re-join the A421 to proceed your journey.

Southbound traffic

• Exit the A421 southboud astatine the Marsh Leys junction with the A6 for Northampton
• At the roundabout instrumentality the 2nd exit onto Woburn roadworthy southbound towards Wootton
• Continue southbound connected Woburn Road for astir 7 miles, continuing arsenic it transitions into Bedford Road and passing done Marston Moretaine and Brogborough to scope J13 of the M1.
• From present roadworthy users tin proceed their journey

Unfortunately, owed to the unexpected quality of the shutdown, these alternate routes are "not awesome led", leaving drivers to navigate astir the blockage themselves.

A National Highways spokesperson said: "Following spells of torrential rain flooding occurred astatine Marston Moretaine connected the evening of Sunday 22 September with h2o levels of up to 8 feet recorded.

"This has severely impacted efforts to wide floodwater from the carriageway.

"National Highways work providers proceed to enactment astatine country and astatine contiguous a fig of articulated tankers and pumping instrumentality are successful usage arsenic efforts to wide the roadworthy continue.

"At this clip it is expected the the A421 volition stay closed today; astatine this signifier we cannot supply a timeline for the roadworthy to reopen.

"Three vehicles that person been abandoned successful the flooded conception volition besides request to beryllium recovered earlier the carriageway tin beryllium afloat re-opened."