Second crash on A45 adds to lorry drama
Rush-hour traffic in Northampton suffered huge chaos this morning as the A45 was closed in both directions when a lorry transporter lost control and hung perilously over the edge of a flyover in the town.
The incident happened at about 7.40am this morning when the trailer from an articulated lorry turned over on the Brackmills roundabout above the westbound carriageway.
The driver of the lorry was not injured but the trailer, loaded with electrical goods such as fridges and freezers, was left in a precarious position.
Police reopened the A45 in both directions in the Brackmills/Barnes Meadow area around 11am, although considerable congestion was still seen around the town.
But shortly after that, a four-car shunt took place at the Barnes Meadow interchange, while the traffic lights failed at Queen Eleanor roundabout to add to the problems.
Cars queued back as far as Wellingborough, causing many motorists to be late for work.
Barclaycard employee Emily Brigson, aged 22, of Kingsley, Northampton, was just under one hour late for work.
She said: "It was so frustrating, my dad dropped me off and it's lucky he did because otherwise I would have had to wait even longer. In
"Because it was so bad he dropped me off at a roundabout and I had to walk."
Two recovery trucks with cranes were used to haul the trailer back onto the bridge.
Several washing machines and freezers also spilled out onto the road.
Messages received by email
Has the UK Health and Safety gone mad? Another case of a major road closed in both directions when there appears to be no sane reason? The pictures and article in the Chron today showed the HGV vehicle, which turned its trailer over on the Brackmills bridge above the A45 bypass. I would like to know what the justification was for closing the road in both directions and causing even more disruption to traffic in Northampton during rush hour? It seems to me either the Police or health and safety overact in these situations with total disregard for the public, who incidentally pay their wages. Is this not the reason why they are called public servants? In France this would never happen and Police would be out in force moving traffic on and pushing "eye-ballers" to get moving. They even do this on Motorways where there is a fatality, yet in the UK there seems to be a culture of - oh let's just close the whole road and who cares about industry getting to work to make money to pay their wages. It is a disgrace when something like this happens and the so called "Traffic Police" do not seem to do their job and speedily get traffic moving and set up sensible diversions. If anyone has seen the pictures, maybe you could justify the Southbound A45 section being shut to make safe but there was no interference or danger above the North section whatsoever. Is it not about time there was strict accountability for decisions like this?
Andrew Rhodes
It does seem a bit excessive, but the police would soon have copped it if a fridge had fallen off onto a car going under the bridge!
Helen Amos
I think your comment is totally unacceptable, the police and other services do what they can to make the roads safer for the public. What would you rather, have a heavy electrical good fall on top of your car or be safe and take the long way?? You have taken total disregard towards the emergency services procedures and that is unfair, instead of moaning maybe you should praise them for all they do for our communities, and maybe will do for you in the future.
Laura Whaley
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Weather for Northampton
Wednesday 08 February 2012
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