M1 motorway closures: junctions shut this weekend, diversion route, reason for closure

A major motorway will be closed in places for roadworks.

The closures will take place from Friday (19 August) night until Monday (22 August) morning.

National Highways has confirmed which junctions will be closed.

Here is all you need to know:

Where is the M1 closed and what junctions are affected?

National Highways has announced the following closures between 19 August and 22 August:

• M1-southbound - junction 33 exit slip road
• M1-northbound - junction 33 exit slip road
• M1-southbound - junction 42 to M62
• M1-northbound - junction 42 entry slip road

Junction 42 is in the north of England, with northbound exit leading to Hull, Pontefract, Manchester, Bradford and southbound leads to Manchester, Bradford, Leeds Bradford Airport interchange Hull M62

Junction 33 is in Yorkshire - serving Rotherham and Sheffield.

Why are there closures on the M1?

National Highways announced the closures on the motorway this weekend due to roadworks.

What has National Highways said?

The M1 will be closed northbound and southbound at J33, National Highways explains: “Slip road closures and Lane closures for roundabout improvement works. Diversion route in place via highways england network and local authority network.”

M1 is also shut northbound and southbound at J42 to M62 eastbound J29.

National Highways says: “Slip road closure for carriageway improvements. Diversion via National highways and local authority networks.”

Is there a diversion route in place?

National Highways said that there will be diversion routes in place for the M1 closure at J42.

It will be signposted for drivers.

Will there be traffic?

Due to the closures on the M1 this weekend, there could be delays and distruptions on the motorway.

When did the M1 open and how long is it?

The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK.

The first motorway in the country was the Preston By-pass, which later became part of the M6.

Most of the M1 was opened between 1959 and 1968. The southern end was extended in 1977 and the northern end was extended in 1999.

It is is 193 miles (311 km) long.

The M1 was built in four phases.

Plans for a motorway network across the United Kingdom pre-dated the Second World War.

In 1923, Lord Montagu formed a company to build a ‘motorway like road’ from London to Birmingham.

However it wasn’t until 26 years later when the Special Roads Act 1949 was passed.

This law allowed for the construction of roads limited to specific vehicle classifications, and in the 1950s, the country’s first motorways were given the government go-ahead.

In the early days, the M1 had no speed limits, crash barriers, or lighting, and had soft shoulders rather than hard.

The first section of the M1 to open was between Junction 5 for Watford and Junction 18 for Crick/Rugby.

It opened on 2 November 1959.

Currently the M1 connects:

• London
• Brent Cross
• Watford
• St Albans
• Hemel Hempstead
• Luton
• Milton Keynes
• Northampton
• Rugby
• Leicester
• Loughborough
• Nottingham
• Derby
• Mansfield
• Chesterfield
• Sheffield
• Rotherham
• Barnsley
• Wakefield
• Leeds