16th OCT - M5 Closed North & Southbound by Bristol!

16th OCT - M5 Closed North & Southbound by Bristol!

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Discussion

MudSkipper

Original Poster:

2,406 posts

224 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
The M5 north and southbound between J18a and J22 has been closed...again!! excpected to stay closed until around 1pm today

Looks like i wont be getting out of Portishead any time soon

UPDATE
BBC Radio Bristol have just comfirmed the car hit and rolled a pylon just south of J19, all passengers including the driver are walking wounded.

The electric pylon has been snapped and is being replaced
Portbury Hundred is closed due to the pylons and cables being on the hundreds - likely to be closed until 3pm today

M32 - heading into town, possible accident
M4 - slow going on exit slip roads


Edited by MudSkipper on Friday 16th October 10:11

Moose.

5,340 posts

247 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
Hmmm, I normally get on the M5 at J21 and head up to Bristol so might just not bother going to work until after lunch. Really can't be arsed to spend my morning sitting in the car. Not sure the clutch would take the stop/start traffic anyway....

onomatopoeia

3,481 posts

223 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
Portishead is a car park, not helped by the Portbury hundred being closed as well. Naish hill wasn't moving and the only other route out via Clevedon needs the M5 to be open to work.

I gave up and am back at home.

Moose.

5,340 posts

247 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
Well if you're staying at home for now Mark, I think I will too wink

Hopefully it'll clear up later!

Miss Pitstop

4,289 posts

208 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
Sadly my route to work remains open!

This just goes to show how vulnerable the motorway system is around Bristol. Once 1 bit goes wrong, the whole city gets snarled up... I'm manning the phones until the Portishead crowd roll in. Looks like it could be a long day frown

sgrimshaw

7,389 posts

256 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
So why does a car hitting a power pylon require the shutting of 25 miles of Motorway in both fecking directions?

onomatopoeia

3,481 posts

223 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
If you're north of the Avon I wouldn't expect anyone from Portishead any time soon, South West power distribution don't think they will have the motorway re-opened before lunchtime and with the Portbury hundred shut as well it's just silly.

I left home for Westbury-on-Trym at 7.15 and had abandoned all hope by 7.45 and turned around!


CatherineJ

9,586 posts

249 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
If the car left the motorway and hit a pylon then 25 miles of motorway in both directions seams a bit OTT.

MudSkipper

Original Poster:

2,406 posts

224 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
When i rang one of my bosses earlier he said 'so you'll try and get in a bit later then?' looks like i'll be braving the traffic later!

My stepdad left the house at about 5:30 this morning and he said he could see blue lights on the motorway just north of the Naish Hill bridge, but we're not sur if thats where the accident has happened or not. But you would think that knowing Portishead is a nightmare at the best of times they'd keep more than 1 road open

onomatopoeia

3,481 posts

223 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
Apparently there was an accident on the Portbury hundred which shut that.

The M5 closing to J22 is the standard HA plan for the Avonmouth bridge being closed, send everything up / down the A38.

splodge s4

1,519 posts

243 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
Just heard on radio Bristol that local schools are open as normal apart from Gordano which will open at 10am...so were they considering closing schools? nuts

Not that I give a dam as I work from home, dont live in the area & dont have kids! biggrin

Moose.

5,340 posts

247 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
splodge s4 said:
Not that I give a dam as I work from home, dont live in the area & dont have kids! biggrin
I have just one more week before I can claim the same winkbiggrin

Edited by Moose. on Friday 16th October 09:41

MudSkipper

Original Poster:

2,406 posts

224 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
My mum has benn trying to get through to the Doctors surgery this morning...she's just got through to be told that there are no Doctors in due to all the accidents and the issue on the M5 and the only appointments they can offer are emergency appointments after 1:30pm!

dazren

22,612 posts

267 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
Have a sticky.

This road is becoming a fecking joke. furious

MudSkipper

Original Poster:

2,406 posts

224 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
dazren said:
Have a sticky.

This road is becoming a fecking joke. furious
Ta muchly smile

AngryApples

5,449 posts

271 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
MudSkipper said:
When i rang one of my bosses earlier he said 'so you'll try and get in a bit later then?' looks like i'll be braving the traffic later!

My stepdad left the house at about 5:30 this morning and he said he could see blue lights on the motorway just north of the Naish Hill bridge, but we're not sur if thats where the accident has happened or not. But you would think that knowing Portishead is a nightmare at the best of times they'd keep more than 1 road open
Interesting

I left WSM at 530, and they had shut 2 lanes on the Avonmouth bridge

Just at the foot of the bridge there were around 5 cop cars with blues going, plus around 4 womble mobiles - found it odd at the time as I couldnt see any accdent dameged vehicles

Anyway, Im now in Reading, on my usual Friday half day where I'd normally hit Bristol about 1pm, so thats me getting home about 5PM then

As said, cant understand for the life of me shutting down this much of a major artery for a downed power cable

furious

High flier

1,089 posts

183 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
I'm starting to think that the Highways agency snarl up/close the M5 for fun nowadays, my journey is from Weston to Cheltenham (although todays commute has been abandoned) and there are 3 sets of 50 mph zones on that stretch, which people seem to think more often than not are an excuse to go 0 mph in for no reason other than poor driving, its a nightmare!!!!

MudSkipper

Original Poster:

2,406 posts

224 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
Have heard from a friend who says that Radio Bristol are reporting that the Portbury Hundred is closed because of the pylon which was hit...could explain my stepdad and Matt seeing the blue lights this morning and that non of the Jamcams south of J19 are working

J500ANT

3,101 posts

245 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
Why is it always on a Friday?

neil_bolton

17,113 posts

270 months

Friday 16th October 2009
quotequote all
MudSkipper said:
Have heard from a friend who says that Radio Bristol are reporting that the Portbury Hundred is closed because of the pylon which was hit...could explain my stepdad and Matt seeing the blue lights this morning and that non of the Jamcams south of J19 are working
Thats what the Avon and Somerset Police website is saying.