Damaged drain repair work to start on M1

2 hours ago

Alex PopeBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire

News image — The traffic cones enabling the lane closures have been put to one side

Tony Fisher/BBC The M1 near junction 13 at Brogborough. There is a brown sign to Woburn Abbey on the left with grass verges and trees on either side of the carriageways. Traffic cones have been moved off the road and have been placed in the central reservation, which has concrete barriers. — The traffic cones enabling the lane closures have been put to one side

Work to fix a damaged drainage pipe on the M1 in Bedfordshire is due to begin eight weeks after the problem first occurred.

Lane closures were first put in place on 27 January between junction 12 at Toddington and junction 13 for Brogborough.

National Highways said work would start on Friday and continue until Friday., 3 April. Lane closures will be in place as well as several overnight closures.

Last week, lane closures were removed due to an improvement in the weather, it added.

Tony Fisher/BBC A motorway with the outside lane southbound closed with cones. There is a sign in the foreground which reads: "Works Access". Trees and grass verges are on either side of the carriageway. — National Highways has said the concrete barrier supports had been weakened by the drainage issue

Dates when disruption is expected between junctions 12 and 13:

Southbound closures from 21:00 GMT on Friday, 27 March to 05:00 on Saturday, 28 March - the northbound road will have some lane closures
Saturday 28/Sunday 29 March: the southbound carriageway will be closed from 21:00 to 05:00 and lanes three and four will be closed in both directions; lane three in both directions will reopen 05:00 on Monday, 30 March
From 05:00 on Monday, 30 March to 05:00 Friday, 3 April, lane four will be closed in both directions
There will be overnight lane closures in both directions from Monday, 30 March to 05:00 on Friday, 3 April
From Tuesday, 31 March, the northbound carriageway will be fully closed from 21:00 until 05:00 on 1 April for resurfacing work
The southbound section will be shut overnight from Wednesday, 1 April to 05:00 on the 2 April to remove the temporary barrier

National Highways said that while the work was being carried out variable speed limits would be in place.

It added that drivers would be diverted on "a well-signed route".

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