Diversion routes are as follows:
Drivers travelling southbound should follow signs showing a black circle on yellow background to come off the A5 at the A428 to join the M1 at junction 18. They should then exit the M1 at junction 16 and rejoin the A5.
The northbound diversion is the reverse and is indicated by signs showing a hollow black square.
The Highways Agency has been working with the emergency services and its contractors to re-open the road as soon as possible.
It is currently expected that the road will re-open at approximately 11pm tonight.
Notes to Editors
Issued by the Highways Agency. For further information please contact Baz Abdulla on 0121 678 5992 or 07584185611. Media enquiries out of hours should be made to the Highways Agency National Press Office (24hrs) on 0844 6931448.
1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England’s motorways and other strategic roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.
2. Real-time traffic information for England’s motorways and other strategic roads is available:
- From the web at www.highways.gov.uk/traffic or www.highways.gov.uk/mobile if using a phone or mobile device.
- By phone from the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000 at any time. (Calls to 0300 numbers will cost no more than 5p per minute from a standard BT residential landline. Call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary, but will be no more than a standard geographic call and will be included in all inclusive minutes and discount schemes). Make sure it’s safe and legal before you call. Before using any mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency.
- On an iPhone app which will automatically select the region you are in. Free to download from the iTunes store or search for Highways Agency on your device.
- From Twitter – there are eight feeds with live traffic information provided by region. For information on roads in the East Midlands follow us at @HAtraffic_emids or for the full index visit www.highways.gov.uk/twitter.
3. Receive our national and regional press releases by RSS and get the latest headlines straight to your desktop the moment we publish them to our website. Choose to receive a national press feed or one of our regionalised feeds - go to www.highways.gov.uk/rssnews for more information.
Issued by the Highways Agency. For further information please contact Baz Abdulla on 0121 678 5992 or 07584185611. Media enquiries out of hours should be made to the Highways Agency National Press Office (24hrs) on 0844 6931448.