Road closures planned to relocate pump after severe flooding

Work to move a pumping station that flooded, causing a major road to become completely submerged, is entering its final phase.

A section of the A421 in Bedfordshire was closed for nearly three weeks after torrential rain in September.

A number of road closures will be in place during the summer as engineers move the pump system uphill.

What happened to the A421?

One of the key east-west routes linking the M1 near Milton Keynes to the A1 near Cambridgeshire was closed for three weeks in September after severe flooding.

Water levels of up to 8ft (2.4m) were recorded on the stretch at Marston Moretaine, and National Highways teams cleared 72 million litres of water.

Pumping equipment was used to clear the water - the equivalent of about 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools - before work began to resurface and repair the carriageway.

Martin Fellows, regional director for National Highways, said: "I think it's important to recognise the disruption and inconvenience this issue has caused to drivers, local residents and those that rely on this section of road."

Why did it flood so badly?

Lower Shelton pumping station was flooded and stopped working

Firstly, the region experienced extremely heavy rainfall in a very short space of time. In Bedfordshire, a month's worth of rain fell in under 46 hours.

Roads and schools were closed and homes and businesses flooded.

On the A421, the pumping station at Lower Shelton - designed to prevent the road from flooding - became submerged and stopped working.

It could not remove the rising water, which settled like a lake under a bridge and across a significant stretch of carriageway.

What is happening to the pumping station?

Work to relocate the pumping station at Lower Shelton to higher ground began in February

National Highways decided to move the pumping station to a higher position to avoid the risk of future flooding.

"Relocating the pumping station to higher ground and the installation of a new pump will help prevent emergency road closures on the A421, benefiting road users and the local community," said Simon Amor, head of scheme delivery.

Work began in February to replace the control system, which involved building new foundations further up the bank.

A temporary safety barrier was erected on the eastbound entry slip road to allow the work to be carried out.

What road closures are in place this summer?

Minor flooding affected the same stretch of the road once again after heavy rain this month

As workers install the new control system, a slip road onto the A421 will be closed to allow them to operate safely.

The eastbound entry slip road at Marston Moretaine will be closed from 20:00 BST on Monday, 28 July through to 06:00 on Thursday, 31 July.

The same section will be closed during the same hours from Monday, 4 August to Thursday, 7 August.

Drivers wanting to enter the A421 eastbound from Beancroft Road are asked to travel westbound along the A421 towards the M1 junction 13, then turn and head back in the easterly direction.

Diversion signs will be in place.

National Highways said once this phase is complete, they will need to close the A421 eastbound carriageway "to allow for safe removal of old equipment".

This date will be confirmed nearer the time.