If you’ve recently replaced your turbocharger, chances are you’re ready to get back on the road. However, after hearing about some of the strangest motorway spills in the UK, you may think twice about travelling Britain’s biggest roads!
Highways England has revealed the weird and wonderful items and substances that have held up traffic following an incident. The news comes just days after 24 tonnes of lard caused the M11 to be closed for 24 hours, although no one was hurt.
While hold-ups are often frustrating, some lager fans may have seen the funny side of an incident on the M6 in Coventry four years ago when thousands of beers ended up on the road. The clean-up operation took four hours, with workers having to pick each can up by hand.
In 2012, the Highways Agency enlisted the services of a mini-digger to scoop up thousands of tins of beans that had spilled onto the M11 southbound. Drivers were delayed for three hours while the beans were removed.
Motorists travelling on the A3 Stoke Interchange in Guildford on March 20 2009 were unfortunate enough to face the aftermath of a HGV crash. The lorry had been carrying a full container of raw human sewage, which required the help of the Environment Agency.
Other less savoury spills include a tanker that leaked animal blood across the A50 in Stoke on Trent and a powdered cement accident on the M6 in Lancashire. The latter incident caused the motorway to shut down for 18 hours.