Catthorpe Interchange demolition disrupts motorway travel

[dutchman]

One of the UK's busiest motorway junctions has been shut for the weekend so engineers can dismantle an old viaduct.



Demolition at the Catthorpe interchange, where the M6, M1 and A14 meet on the border of Warwickshire and Leicestershire, began on Friday night.

The viaduct, which carried M6 southbound traffic over the M1, has been replaced by a new bridge.

The Highways Agency said closures were expected until 12:00 GMT on Sunday.

Engineers are dismantling the 3,500-tonne structure.

It means the M1 is shut in both directions at Junction 19 and southbound traffic on the M6 is not able to join the M1 at the interchange.

'Traffic levels lower'

Drivers are being urged to allow extra time for their journeys or to avoid the area if they can.

Football fans travelling for FA Cup games are among those expected to be affected.

Ivan Marriott, from the Highways Agency, said the organisation had thought carefully about when to do the work.

"The problem is there is never going to be a weekend when nothing's actually happening," he said.

"Obviously we chose a weekend where traffic levels are lower. There's also less commercial traffic around as well and we did deliberately choose to avoid the busy Christmas period and also the new year.

"We've also been in contact with the FA and other organisations to try and get the message over that the closures were over this weekend."

Full details of the closures can be found on the Highways Agency website.