Skip to main content

Fire damage closes bridge over UK's M1 motorway

Following a fire at a scrapyard under the motorway (one of Britain’s busiest) in April, extensive investigation, assessment and structural reinforcement work has taken place non-stop.
February 22, 2012 Read time: 1 min
A UK Highways Agency photograph shows the metal support structure below the M1 after the fire damage. (David Townend Photography).
WHILE ALL three lanes in both directions are now open between junctions 1 and 4 on the M1 motorway, north of London, UK, further closures will be required.

Following a fire at a scrapyard under the motorway (one of Britain’s busiest) in April, extensive investigation, assessment and structural reinforcement work has taken place non-stop.

An 80km/hour speed limit is in force over the viaduct for safety reasons.

The 1441 UK Highways Agency says that it is likely there will be a need for further closures to enable permanent repair work to be undertaken. This will be planned to minimise disruption as far as possible.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New UK motorway link under construction
    June 18, 2015
    Construction of a new junction on the M1 near Dunstable in Bedfordshire is starting in the UK. The new junction, junction 11A, is located just to the south of Toddington services and forms part of a new €225 million link road between the A5 and the M1 that will help to unlock growth and reduce congestion in the area. Work on the link road began in March.
  • VIDEO – demolition of UK’s M1 motorway overpass
    April 17, 2015
    Specialist contractor Armac recently demolished a bridge over the UK’s busy M1 motorway. The work was carried out within a tight timeframe as this important route could only be closed for a short period at night over a weekend when traffic would be at its lightest so as to minimise disruption.
  • £317 million UK highway project delayed
    February 12, 2025
    A £317 million UK highway project is delayed.
  • Europe closes in on the crossings
    September 27, 2017
    The Mersey Gateway bridge project off England’s west coast passed a milestone recently with the first joining of two of the deck sections. The key segments, as the sections are called, link the north approach viaduct to the north pylon deck span and are the first of four deck-joins scheduled for this summer. In total, there are five sections of bridge deck and approach roads that need to be joined.