Skip to main content

Whale of a time

Motorists in the UK were left feeling decidedly ill due to a rather unusual load being transported along a busy dual carriageway. The drivers had the misfortune to be using the same stretch of road as a truck carrying the carcass of a dead whale.
May 16, 2014 Read time: 1 min
RSSMotorists in the UK were left feeling decidedly ill due to a rather unusual load being transported along a busy dual carriageway. The drivers had the misfortune to be using the same stretch of road as a truck carrying the carcass of a dead whale. The unfortunate creature had died after being stranded on a beach on the south coast of England and five days later was removed, to be taken to a landfill site for disposal. However the whale was rotting and as the truck was being driven, some of its decomposing innards dripped onto the roadway in its wake, leaving a highly unpleasant smell for any motorists following behind.

Related Content

  • New road reduces Carlisle congestion by 20%
    May 11, 2012
    Carlisle, in north-west England, has seen as 20% reduction in congestion since the opening of the city’s US$284million (£176m) Northern Development Route in February this year. Around 10,000 vehicles a day are using the new road, which is broadly in line with the predictions made by highways engineers when building a case to construct a new route connecting the A595 with the M6 around the western flank of the city. Traffic counters positioned on the new road show an average of 9,583 vehicles a day along the
  • Plans in hand for Slovakia’s longest tunnel
    June 16, 2014
    In Slovakia plans are being made for a new project that will become the country’s longest tunnel when it is complete. Salini Impregilo is the contractor heading the project. The work looks set to cost in the order of €410 million and the project is due for completion in late 2019 or early 2020. Although there was a lower priced bid for the project, this was excluded due to technical problems relating to the proposed tunnel exits. The Visnove Tunnel will measure some 7.7km long and will be constructed in the
  • Road markings important for road safety
    February 20, 2012
    Manufacturers are constantly upgrading marking materials and equipment. Now those responsible for highways are being asked to do more as Patrick Smith reports. A recent report claimed that nearly one-third of the length of Britain's single carriageway A-roads have white lines so worn out that they do not meet recognised standards. According to the LifeLines Report, an assessment of more than 2,400km of the road network, Britain's most dangerous roads have the most worn-out centre line markings of all, leavi
  • France’s Chambon Tunnel on D1091 is final reconstruction phase
    August 17, 2017
    The reinforced Chambon Tunnel in the southeast French Alps region will open on schedule by the end of the year. The tunnel, which carries the D1091, was partially reopened at the end of last year following a landslide in 2015 along the mountain through with the bore is located. Local media report that from the end of this month, the tunnel will be closed again for the final phase of lining work. The road connects Bourg d’Oisans and the Col du Lautaret and Col du Galibier.