Section of A421 have been closed for 2 weeks after month of rainfall fell in under 48 hours.
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The A421 was closed since 22 September in both directions between the A6 at Bedford and the M1 junction 13, near Brogborough/Marston Moretaine.
Over 70 million litres of floodwater were pumped away according to National Highways, enough to fill 28 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The closure caused major disruption and inconvenience to those who rely on the section of road, which is one of the busiest in Bedfordshire and forms part of a key route connecting Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford.
Due to damage caused by the floods, Martin Fellows, Regional Director for National Highways in the East of England, outlines that repair works will continue, with some diversions and speed restrictions needed to ensure the safety of everyone on the road.
Previously considered once in a lifetime occurrences, extreme weather events are becoming increasingly familiar as the impacts of the climate crisis take hold.
Such a shift must changing the way we approach the management and maintenance of the transport network, with a focus on resilience and adaptation proving key.
In the recently published manifesto ‘A transport network fit for all our futures’, CIHT call for the maintenance of ageing assets and future-proofing of transport infrastructure against the inevitable impacts of climate change.
‘Investment in the maintenance of our existing highways and infrastructure is a key priority to ensure the continued and efficient use of our transport network. Incrementally adapting our infrastructure and proactively carrying out maintenance is essential to achieve extreme weather resilience and meet our decarbonisation goals.’
On 9th October 2024, CIHT will launch a new report on resilience and adaptation to extreme weather events. You can find more information about the project here.
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