Roads closed in heavy snowfalls

Jan 4 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

TWO of the North-East’s major roads were closed yesterday after the winter’s first snowfall left drivers facing chaotic conditions.

Both the A1 and the A68 were blocked off by police after a series of accidents and some motorists abandoned their cars on the roadside after skidding.

Up to 30cm of snow is expected to fall on the region by the end of the current cold snap, and gritters were last night on constant patrol on major routes.

A seven-mile stretch of the northbound A1 was closed from Gosforth in Newcastle to Morpeth for an hour and a half, and southbound traffic on the road stood at a standstill at Stannington in Northumberland.

The A68 was also closed at Corbridge in Northumberland for two hours, with upland areas in the North-East suffering the most from the snowfall.

The Met Office put in place a severe weather warning for the region throughout yesterday and until 6am today, when rain is expected to replace the snow, but could freeze and leave ice on the roads.

As families across the region made the most of the weather, police said accidents were being reported almost as soon as the morning rush hour began.

Up to 12cm of snow had fallen by mid-afternoon yesterday, but the Met Office said that some upland areas in Northumberland would be under up to 30cm by the end of the showers.

Despite council and Highways Agency gritters being deployed from Wednesday night, conditions were treacherous and police urged people not to drive unless it was completely unavoidable.

Just after 9am, the A68 was closed at Stagshaw Bank at Corbridge over safety fears, and at 11.30am, the A1 closure was put in place.

It followed several bumps in the Stannington area, one which saw a driver taken to Wansbeck Hospital with minor injuries after coming off the road in his Kia Sorrento at 10.30am, and at 10.50am a silver Mercedes left the road near Stannington services.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: “A number of vehicles became stuck in the snow on the northbound A1 near Morpeth and as a result it was decided not to allow any more through until conditions improved and recovery had taken place.”

The region’s other major routes remained open throughout the day but also saw accidents, including a six-vehicle collision on the A696 at Woolsington, near Ponteland, at 10.50am. Fortunately nobody was injured in the crash, police said.

One woman, a 25-year-old travelling from Newcastle to Middlesbrough yesterday, said: “It was chaos on the roads.It was a complete blizzard on the A19 and at some points, especially in County Durham, I could only see a few metres in front of me.

“Cars were slowing down to about 30mph and there were even a couple of vehicles abandoned by the side of the road.”

A Met Office spokesman said: “The most snow has fallen around the Cumbria-Northumberland border. By the end of the snow showers some areas will have up to 30cm. Temperatures have barely scraped above freezing, which hasn’t been helped by some pretty strong winds making it feel even colder.”

Last night, a Durham Police spokesman said: “Today’s poor weather has caused some problems for drivers on various roads in the force area for much of today.

“Between 20-30 collisions were reported to the police up to around 2pm today, almost all taking place after 7am when people started leaving home to go to work. None of the accidents were classed as serious, with the vast majority recorded as damage only.

“Police are reminding motorists to allow extra time for their journeys and adjust their driving and braking accordingly.”

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Forecast

WEATHER conditions in the North-East are set to improve today, forecasters said last night, but motorists were being warned of possible ice.

A period of milder weather will replace the cold snap that will see the snow showers leave and temperatures rise as high as 6°C in built-up areas.

But drivers were also being warned to be careful if the falling rain freezes.

A Met Office spokesman said yesterday: “Newcastle could see temperatures as high as 6°C. During the course of the day, anything that does fall is going to be rain, rather than snow.

“It’s a slow improvement in temperatures, but overall becoming less cold.

“The weekend will see winds coming in off the Atlantic and it’s going to be up to 7°C or 8°C. This is a short, sharp cold snap.”

An inspection is due at Newcastle Racecourse this morning, where officials said they would assess the situation at 7am.

After his 3.30pm inspection, clerk of the course James Armstrong said: “At the moment we are very much unraceable. But we’ll give it every chance and we’ll look again first thing in the morning.”