Motorway shut all day after lorry smashes into bridge
LUCKY ESCAPE FOR DRIVER, BUT CRASH CAUSES DELAYS MISERY
THE M1 southbound was closed all day Monday after an early morning crash left a lorry hanging off a bridge.
The heavy goods vehicle smashed into a bridge barrier over the A14 shortly before 4.40am.
The driver made a lucky escape from the lorry and was uninjured, Leicestershire Police confirmed.
Officers arrived at the scene and the M1, A14 and M6 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Lutterworth, were subsequently closed.
Shortly after 5am, the force issued a statement: “It is reported the lorry has collided with the barrier leaving part of the vehicle and the barrier resting over the edge of the carriageway.
“Drivers are advised to seek alternative routes and avoid the area where possible while arrangements are made to remove the vehicle and ensure both roads are safe to be reopened.”
Motorists were urged to avoid the area altogether if possible, with the southbound M1 shut throughout the day and congestion building on the roads in the area.
The M6 southbound and A14 were also closed, with drivers being diverted via the A5, leading to heavy congestion there.
The southbound carriageway of the M1 was only opened again shortly after 6pm, nearly 14 hours after the smash.
A crane was deployed to recover the truck, which was safely lifted away from its precarious position.
However, damage to the road surface and bridge barrier meant emergency repair work was ongoing all morning and afternoon.
Highways England told motorists to prepare for the long haul as far as disruption was concerned “due to the nature of the collision and complex recovery work.”
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service was also called to the scene but did not have to take action. A crew assessed the situation and a recovery team was subsequently called.
Queues at one point stretched for five miles on the approach to the M1 closure. While only the southbound side was closed, there were also delays on the northbound side.