On Friday Richard was invited by National Highways to see the progress in clearing the unprecedented accumulation of water on the A421 at Marston Moretaine.
Speaking at the visit, Richard Fuller MP said:
Over 75 million litres of water (that’s just shy of a million bathtubs full) have already been removed – and the progress is continuing over the next few days.
Once the water is cleared, there will be a careful inspection of the roadway to ensure it is clear and the road surface has not been damaged. The drains will have to be cleared and the bridge concrete inspected to assure its safety.
I raised questions about the pumping station and local capacity for removing water: currently water is being pumped to sites up to four kilometres away. National Highways staff and their contractors have been working around the clock – in the rain and in clear skies – to get the road passable again.
This has been a long period of closure: one of the worst for any major road in the UK. But we can look forward to its reopening soon