why do the media keep headlining the M1 fire as "ruining the Easter holiday"???

[Ponders]

I can see that it's bloody inconvenient for football fans heading to Wembley this weekend, & for people from N of Watford coming down for the Marathon, but Easter???

Because it's the middle of the Easter school holidays?

some LEAs go back on Monday!

seriously, how many people going away "for Easter" would have been needing to use the M1 this weekend?

people are leaving for the airport round about now......easter hols

and doesnt look like being fixed anytime soon,well not last time i looked anyway

haha! i was near the a1 and m25 in that area today and is seemed normal

Perhaps they know something we don't about how long it will be closed for?

Have you got a link?

Link

Thanks, I hadn't seen the news all day!

Just seen a report on SKY - the concrete has been damaged enough to expose the steel reinforcement. Rebuilding looks likely to be necessary. They're doing strengthening work to allow a further partial re-opening, but it could be several days before it re-opens fully.

This was the peak weekend for those going away for Easter.

but how many of those would have had to use the M1 J 1-4? Not a huge percentage, I'll bet

a41 was crazy today, so knock on effect is loads of local main routes gridlocked so it's not great is it.

surprised that sound main roundabouts were nose to tail. traffic police should have been brought in to control it better

coinciding with the Wembley matches (maybe next time they'll let NW teams play at NW grounds!) & the Marathon was very unlucky; I can imagine how horrendous it was on the immediately neighbouring roads

But OTOH most drivers seem to be programmed to either use the M1 or follow signed detours - I just looked at google, there are dozens of alternative routes to pick up the M1 further N - use a map, people!

I've seen another update, and they're now saying middle or end of next week at the earliest. Am I being too suspicious or are we being softened up for a lengthy problem.

They showed the bridge being held up be struts underneath. They're going to have to rebuild, aren't they?

Wonder what tomorrow's rush hour will be like!

Has there really already been the Easter exodus? With the Easter and RW Bank Hol weekends back to back, I thought a lot of people were going away next week.

well that's what I'd have thought too, meditrina (hence OP)

But different LEAs have different holidays:

some have just finished their 2 weeks & go back tomorrow, with long weekends at Easter & RW/May Day
some broke up last week & go back Easter Tuesday, with long weekend for RW/May Day
some have only just broken up for 2 weeks & will go back on Tue 3rd May

& of course some people have no schoolchildren (yes really ) & can go away whenever they like

Because the M1 is possibly still going to be closed by Good Friday?

Fair enough it's a main route and all that but it's not ruining the holidays for anyone who isn't going anywhere near Staples Corner. Or North London.

I saw the fire from my train on Friday - looked quite nasty.

they are hoping to have 2 lanes open each way by tomorrow though

& on Fri/Sat they had no idea how long it would be - they were saying that being closed this weekend would ruin everybody's Easters

(possible all such articles written by London writers planning to use the M1 today for a 2 -week break...? )

I think the Easter exodus was on the M25 on Friday, J10 up to J20 between 5 and 7pm. Sat there for bloody ages.

so did you get away, clam, or was that just your daily commute?

yes, edam - missed yours before, sorry - that's exactly what I was thinking!

The fire did look nasty; they are talking now about doing away with scrapyards under motorways - well durr

it'll take them a while. Motorway flyovers and railway arches are full of little businesses doing things with flammable material. Garages and workshops and so on. The Westway in London has God Knows What underneath there...