The flooded A421 in Bedfordshire could reopen sometime this week as work continues to clear the road which has been shut since late last month.

Martin Fellows, Regional director for National Highways in the East of England, told the Bedford Independent newspaper that the organisation has been taking the clear-up very seriously and working as quickly as they can.

“We’ve had around 30 tankers, at their peak, at any one time pumping water away to a range of locations nearby. We’ve for the last few days had a high volume pump working on one end of the flood to take water nearly two miles away to Stewartby Lake.

“We’ve got a further high-volume pump which is about to start operating which will pump to another balancing pond. The reason we haven’t been able to use that until now is because the water lever in that balancing pond has been too high.”

Following torrential rain, the A421 was shut in both directions between A6 at Bedford to M1 junction 13 near Brogborough/Marston Moretaine.

Efforts to clear the floodwater have been ongoing since, with a fleet of ten tankers working around the clock to remove water from the carriageway, which is estimated to be around 60 million litres in total, and at its peak was eight feet deep. The flooding of a local pumping station has significantly contributed to the issue. 

Mr Fellows was responding to comments from a local councillor that the situation was a “national disgrace”.

(Picture – National Highways Twitter)