A stretch of the A421 road between Milton Keynes and Bedford remains closed after flooding.

The A421 has been closed since last Sunday (22/09) after heavy rain flooded the carriageway in the Marston Moretaine area.

Since the flooding, the road has been closed in both direction between junction 13 of the M1 just south-east of Milton Keynes and the A6 in Kempston on the outskirts of Bedford.

Work has been ongoing over the last week to re-open the road, but it remains ongoing, with no date yet given for the re-opening of the affected road.

National Highways have said that efforts to clear the floodwater have been ongoing since the weekend. They have deployed a fleet of 25 tankers to remove water from the carriageway, which was estimated to be around 60 million litres in total, and at its peak was 8ft deep. The flooding of a local pumping station has also been noted as a factor that has significantly contributed to the issue. 

The agency have also said that an investigation and assessment will be carried out when the water is drained in order to better understand if there is damage to the road and if any repair work will be needed to safely re-open the road.

Martin Fellows, Regional Director for National Highways in the East of England, said in a statement that the work remained ongoing.

Fellows said, “The torrential weather experienced in this part of the country meant over a month’s rainfall fell in less than 48 hours. That overwhelmed the area and, for the first time we’ve experienced, flooded a nearby pumping station hampering our ability to deal this.

“This is an absolute priority as we don’t want people’s journeys impacted by disruption and all our efforts are focused on resolving this and getting the road open as soon as it is safe to do so.

“Given the ground conditions are so wet and we are having to transport the floodwater away from the immediate area and along pipework over 4km in distance, it’s important people realise the size of the task and this could take a number of days to resolve.

“I understand that people are curious and want to visit the scene but I would kindly request that members of the public continue to support us by staying away from the area so our work to tackle this issue can continue to progress at pace.” 

Diversion routes have been given while the road remains out of action.

Drivers heading from Milton Keynes towards Bedford are advised from the M1 J13 to take Bedford Road northbound towards Ampthill/Ridgmont, travel northbound on Bedford Road for approximately 7 miles, continuing as it transitions into Woburn Road, passing through Brogborough and Marston Moretaine and then re-joining the A421 at the Marsh Leys junction roundabout with the A6/A421.

Meanwhile, those heading from Bedford towards Milton Keynes are advised to exit the A421 southbound at the Marsh Leys junction with the A6 for Northampton, take the 2nd exit onto Woburn road, proceed southbound towards Wootton, continue southbound on Woburn Road for approximately 7 miles, continuing as it transitions into Bedford Road and passing through Marston Moretaine and Brogborough to reach J13 of the M1 before carrying onwards.