An incident involving a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) veering off the road has resulted in significant traffic disruptions on a busy stretch of highway. Traffic was temporarily halted on the M1 following the accident at junction 35 on the A629 Cowley Hill in Rotherham, as reported by the Inrix traffic monitoring system.
The traffic standstill began at 11 am, with the entry slip road at junction 35 also shut down. Drivers have been advised to steer clear of the area as emergency responders address the aftermath of the HGV mishap.
According to the authorities, the road closure is expected to persist until after midnight. The entry slip situation is anticipated to be resolved between 9:15 pm and 9:30 pm, as per National Highways. Normal traffic flow is projected to resume between 3 pm and 3:15 pm on the M1 southbound.
While the incident on the entry slip at J35 is slated for clearance between 7:45 pm and 8:00 pm, delays are expected to linger until around 6:30 pm – 6:45 pm. National Highways has revised the estimated clearance time to be between 4:30 pm and 4:45 pm, causing delays of approximately 30 minutes against usual traffic expectations.
At present, only one lane remains closed on the M1 southbound entry slip at junction J35 due to a vehicle accident. The closure is forecasted to be resolved between 2:15 pm and 2:30 pm, with traffic returning to normal around that time. Additionally, one of four lanes between junctions J35 and J34 is closed, leading to delays of around 30 minutes compared to regular traffic flow, with an expected clearance time of 3:30 pm – 3:45 pm.
The disruption stems from an HGV incident at J35 A629 Cowley Hill, causing prolonged congestion back to J36 (Barnsley South/Hoyland). Following a temporary road closure of around forty minutes, only one lane on the main carriageway remains closed while the entry slip remains shut since approximately 11:00 am.
South Yorkshire Police have confirmed responding to the HGV incident on the M1 southbound near J35, resulting in the closure of the southbound carriageway, urging motorists to avoid the area.