M1 could remain closed until Monday

Engineers continue to tackle problems caused by scrapyard fire as thousands flock to capital for FA Cup semi and marathon A seven-mile stretch of the M1 southbound into London may remain closed until Monday morning, forcing thousands of football fans travelling to London for the second FA Cup semi-final on Sunday to take other routes. Only one lane northbound was open as engineers continued to tackle the problems caused by a fire in a scrapyard early on Friday. A second influx of football supporters from Bolton and Stoke follows those who watched the Manchester derby at Wembley on Saturday while thousands more people have come to watch the London marathon. The Highways Agency said urgent repairs were needed before the rest of the motorway could be reopened. “The viaduct does need to be reinforced before it can carry the weight of traffic and we are putting in supports so we can reopen the road as soon as possible,” said a spokesman. “At the same time we are continuing our investigations to determine what remedial work needs to be carried out.” A number of gas cylinders were involved in the blaze and a hazard zone was set up in case they exploded in the heat, London Fire Brigade said. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had complained about the matches being held in London soon after the draw was made, saying the decision to make four northern clubs play in the capital was “quite incredible”. Transport FA Cup London Marathon James Meikle guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 17, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.