Bedfordshire Police have teamed up with National Highways in a colossal effort to drain an estimated 55-60 million litres of water that has swamped a major road following this week’s torrential downpours.
The deluge, described as more than two months’ worth of rain in a single day, wreaked havoc across parts of England on Monday. Flash floods transformed streets into waterways, leading to chaos with homes inundated, vehicles submerged and severe disruptions across the transport network, including the London Underground and numerous roads.
In Bedfordshire, one of the most severely affected routes, currently submerged under a staggering near 60 million litres of water, is witnessing a massive multi-agency operation to pump out the floodwater. The A421 remains impassable in both directions due to the extensive flooding, with diversions set up as a fleet of tankers works tirelessly to reopen the road.
However, National Highways warns that the closure could persist for “several days”.
The A421 closure stretches from the A6 at Bedford to the M1 junction 13 near Brogborough/Marston Moretaine. Both sides of the carriageway have been shut since Sunday evening, September 22.
At the scene, a team of 10 tankers continues their round-the-clock efforts to manage the crisis, with the floodwater reaching depths of up to 8ft at its worst.
A spokesperson for Bedfordshire Police commented: “Efforts to clear floodwater at the Marston Moretaine junction of the A421 continue. National Highways are leading the clearing effort and currently has a fleet of ten tankers working around the clock to help tackle the issue.”
“It is estimated that between 55-60 million litres of water are currently filling the dip under the bridge. So far almost five million litres have been removed, equivalent to two Olympic sized swimming pools.”
“A multi-agency plan to utilise specialist high volume pumps to clear the water quickly is being enacted. However, following consultation with partner agencies, including the environment agency, we are unable to progress at this point in time due to water levels elsewhere.”
“It is important that we do not cause more flooding that further impacts the community. A further weather warning for heavy rain has been issued by the Met Office for Thursday, September 26, which is also likely to cause delays.”
“Once the water and the abandoned vehicles have been cleared there will be an inspection to find out if repair work is required before the road can be reopened. We would like to remind everyone to stay away from the site to allow the teams present to focus on the work required as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
“We understand the frustration the issue is having for drivers from across the county. Please continue to use the diversion routes currently in place and, with the probability of further rain over the next couple of days, drive safely and allow plenty of extra time for your travel.”
The National Highways website issued a stark warning, stating: “National Highways is continuing to work around the clock to tackle the issue but is warning that despite having removed over 5 million litres of water equivalent to two Olympic-sized swimming pools the road is likely to remain closed for a prolonged period that could amount to several days.”
Martin Fellows, Regional Director for National Highways in the East of England, assured the public with his statement: “Let me reassure people that we are taking every possible measure we can to alleviate this situation and get the roads open as soon as possible. By the end of today we expect to have removed more than 5 million litres of water that’s the same amount as you’d find in two Olympic swimming pools.
“The torrential weather experienced in this part of the country meant over a month’s rainfall fell in less than 48 hours. That overwhelmed the area and, for the first time we’ve experienced, flooded a nearby pumping station hampering our ability to deal this.
“This is an absolute priority as we don’t want people’s journeys impacted by disruption and all our efforts are focused on resolving this and getting the road open as soon as it is safe to do so. Given the ground conditions are so wet and we are having to transport the floodwater away from the immediate area, it’s important people realise the size of the task and this could take a number of days to resolve.”
“I understand that people are curious and want to visit the scene but I would kindly request that members of the public continue to support us by staying away from the area so our work to resolve this issue can continue to progress at pace.”
There is an additional alert for another deluge expected today as per Met Office forecasts. Officials are advising drivers to stay updated on alternative routes through the National Highways website, as further rainfall could exacerbate the situation.
Diversions are in place, for the full diversion route visit the National Highways website here.
