I was on the M1 briefly earlier today between Junctions 8 and 10 and saw the gantry signs indicating closure between Junctions 1 and 4.
A nearby fire, apparently.
M1 southbound to remain closed between Junctions 2 and 4, northbound between Junctions 1 and 2, both until noon tomorrow.
tinyurl.com/5u79duk
Some reports say the closures will last into next week.
Last edited by: ChrisPeugeot on Fri 15 Apr 11 at 17:57
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13090742 with some footage...
Last edited by: smokie on Fri 15 Apr 11 at 18:16
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Good job the FA cup semi is a late kick off tomorrow
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Surprised no one has moaned yet.
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i saw a documentory about gas bottles, they dont explode ....why do they have to close the motorway all over the weekend? unless its the powers that be testing the capitols capability in the event of a real disaster and using this incident as a dry run?
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I have seen film of a fire at a place that stored gas bottles. It was like an artillery barrage with bottles rising in the air and crashing into nearby houses like flaming shells.
No idea what documentary you saw.
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>> I have seen film of a fire at a place that stored gas bottles. It
>> was like an artillery barrage with bottles rising in the air and crashing into nearby
>> houses like flaming shells.
>>
>> No idea what documentary you saw.
>>
A Daily Wail one? ;-)
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I heard they've got to inspect the structure of the motorway bridge for damage. I suppose they can't do that until they're certain no-one's going to get injured by exploding acetylene cylinders.
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Depends what gas. Propane or butane, you can cool, and once you do, it's safe, but acetylene is akin to having an unexploded bomb. Remains so for up to 24 hours too.
As scrapyards tend to have oxy-acetylene kit, not that surprised.
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Interesting info re the potentially lethal nature of acetylene, both in storage and in use.
"Acetylene is a well known fuel gas used almost universally in gas welding. Even though it is very common, this gas is an extremely dangerous material. Acetylene is so reactive, it should never be allowed to come into contact with certain metals such as unalloyed copper. Nor should it be stored or used at pressures greater than 15 psi. (Cylinder pressures are rated for 250 psi but this is acceptable because the gas is dissolved in acetone.)
Acetylene is so flammable, that the National Electric Code has a special designation (its most stringent) for using electrical equipment around acetylene. No other substance falls into this classification! Acetylene leaks, no matter how small can have serious consequences. The explosive range of the gas, when mixed with air, is from 2.5% to 82%, the widest of any commonly used gas."
Acetylene spontaneously explodes when compressed and is stored by being dissolved in cylinders containing acetone. As this is in itself highly flammable a cyclinder of actylene gas is a very dangerous object indeed!
Latest news
"A Highways Agency spokeswoman said engineers had been given access to the site of the fire underneath the motorway and checks now had to be carried out on the seven-mile stretch of road to ensure it had not been damaged by the blaze"
The fire is under a bridge - why have 7 miles of the roadway got to be inspected?
Last edited by: Perky Penguin on Sat 16 Apr 11 at 09:33
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That's why you can get propane and butane in handy-sized canisters, but acetylene comes in a dirty great big cylinder.
I was told to think of it as extremely fizzy lemonade, with explosive bubbles.
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The M1 is currently closed in both directions from Junctions 1 - 4.
Sky News, quoting Trafficlink, is reporting that the closure may well last into next week. The structural state of a bridge is being assessed and it seems noon today is the earliest it could be opened.
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Didn't vehicles used to have acetylene headlamps? With a reservoir or generator on the vehicle? Nobody seems to have worried too much then...
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>> Didn't vehicles used to have acetylene headlamps? With a reservoir or generator on the vehicle?
>> Nobody seems to have worried too much then...
>>
But it was not compressed acetylene. it was generated on demand from dripping water onto Calcium carbide.
edit
That is a relief , despite very large amounts of red wine yesterday the memory got it correct.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbide_lamp
Last edited by: pmh on Sat 16 Apr 11 at 10:32
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In the 50s my school friends and I used to make depth charges to thow in the local rivers and ponds, to kill fish to supplement our meagre boarding school diet.
Items needed were calcium carbide, sand, water and one of those pop bottles with the stopper on a wire harness, think Grolsch type. 1/2 fill bottle with sand (so it won't float) add carbide and water, close the stopper and throw into the water. If the bottle was strong enough to resist the pressure build up there was a satisfying explosion and a few dead fish. Fried up with some butter, and hunger assuaged until the next raid!
Last edited by: Perky Penguin on Sat 16 Apr 11 at 10:57
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Yup, Carbide (the source) and uncompressed acetylene are safe. I've only a carbide bicycle lamp in working order, but it's fun as a demonstration piece.
A fair number of pre 1925 cars had acetylene lighting and some still have working kit. Regarded now as a decorative item as they don't come anywhere near meeting modern lighting standards. (If you call them lights, it's an automatic MOT failure).
Last edited by: Slidingpillar on Sat 16 Apr 11 at 10:59
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I had access to calcium carbide in quantity as an early teen and had all sorts of fun with it. Best ever was putting the carbide powder into a metal watering can (one with a secured lid)... pouring in some water... and quickly lighting the gas from the spout to make a flame thrower.
The resulting explosion blew the bottom clean out of the can and I couldn't hear much for a while.
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Sounds as thought you are lucky not to be known as "Fingers Fenlander" - dangerous days we lived in!
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"One lane of the northbound M1 has reopened after being closed for more than 36 hours following a fire, the Highways Agency have said.
The southbound section will remain shut "until it is safe to be reopened", the agency added.
Spokesman John Cauldwell said the aim was to get vehicles flowing in both directions by Monday morning when traffic is at its peak."
From www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13106075 @ 18:59 Saturday.
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its a good job it wasnt a radiation leak , we would all of been evacuated to canada by now....talk about over precautious....jeeeze
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13107189
The spokesman added: "The viaduct does need to be reinforced before it can carry the weight of traffic and we are putting in supports so we can reopen the road as soon as possible.
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Sky News, 4:19pm UK, Sunday April 17, 2011:
"Transport Minister Mike Penning told Sky News the M1 could be partially closed until late next week..."
Does that really mean "next week" - i.e. the week after Easter? Or does someone At Sky News think next week starts tomorrow (Monday)?
"...Two northbound lanes were expected to open this afternoon after a temporary structure was put in place to support the damaged bridge.
And it is thought two southbound lanes will be opened overnight or in the early hours of Monday morning."
tinyurl.com/6l6w6lm
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had to buy the sunday mail today (never again) anyway as i only had £2 pocket money on me and the story in there was the guy who owns one of the businesses underneath has lost £40,000 worth of equipment and its impossible to insure at a reasonable cost because its in the open
this is the guy i feel sorry for
not motorists that can make alternative arangements
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TV news tonight showed damage to the concrete structure with reinforcing rods clearly visible where the concrete had 'blown away' in the fire.
Would you want to drive 40 tonners three abreast across that (one on the hard shoulder)?
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Drove down the M1 from J21-16 this eve, surprised how little use was made of the overhead hazard thingies.
'M1 closed J4-J1' was showing south of Catthorpe so OK for those heading for west London & who can take the hint to route A43/M40 but for those going to east London indication in time to go A14/A1 (M11) would heve been good.
Using signs after, say, Nottingham to explcitly 'signpost' diversions would have been even better.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 17 Apr 11 at 20:01
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I went to Cambridge on Friday and the M1 Closed message was showing on the A1 Southbound and the A14 Westbound, on the approached to the A1/M14 interchange; maybe they switched them off for the weekend.
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Anyone remember those pictures of that road in Japan (Great Kanto Highway?) destroyed by the recent earthquake? I seem to rememember they rebuilt it over the weekend ;-)
Peter
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Seems odd that a business was allowed to store a substantial amount of flammable material plus acetylene cylinders under one of the countries busiest road and rail routes.
A ripe target for the likes of Alkie Ada I would have thought.
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The Transport minister is going to do something about it, and probably ban it.
Horse, bolted, door, stable, after.
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it seems now cooking fat is to blame, i know its bad for the arteries(arterials pun) but this takes the biscuit
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Its ok, we have a bypass.
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>> Seems odd that a business was allowed to store a substantial amount of flammable material plus acetylene cylinders under one of the countries busiest road and rail routes.
>>
Maybe there are lots of other locations where acetylene cylinders are located ?
The traditional " underneath the arches " indies ?
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I can't for the life of me understand why the Highways Agency allow such dangerous materials to be stored under motorways or other strategic roads/junctions. The same applies to Network Rail with their railway arches. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
And you can bet that there will be no chance of claiming on the scrap breakers public liability insurance to cover the £millions? cost of repairs.
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The Highways Agency has just said that one lane southbound could re-open by late afternoon today.
200 tonnes of steel support pillars have been put in place to support the damaged bridge.
Apparently the road MAY not be fully re-opened, meaning three lanes in each direction, until next week (the week after Easter), but even then a contra-flow will be in operation, since the hard shoulder and lane 1 of the southbound carriageway are seriously weakened.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13115361
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Two lanes southbound have now been reported as re-opened. The road now has two lanes open in each direction.
Nevertheless, the Highways Agency is advising drivers to "consider alternative routes and expect significant delays".
www.highways.gov.uk/
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Love this line from the Beeb article
"Cones were removed from junction 4 to allow the lanes to reopen at about 1600 BST, Roads Minister Mike Penning said."
So grateful for the clear explanation of how the re-opening process works.
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Fire-damaged stretch of M1 motorway to fully reopen
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13148083
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There are a number of dates coming up at the end of April..at least 5 or 6...where the motyorway will be completely closed from 10pm to 6am (or something similar) to allow for repair work.
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M1 to remain closed till noon tomorrow - smokie
