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, says the BBC.

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.”

(Pic: National Highways)