Route Closed In Both Directions Over The Weekend

The M74 motorway was closed in both directions on Saturday (23 November) following several accidents in which three people are thought to have been injured.

Police closed the route, the main motorway between Scotland and England, in South Lanarkshire for around three hours in the morning after the incidents.

Officers said that the closure was as a result of icy conditions, with gritters then being deployed in order to treat both carriageways. The BBC reports that three people were hurt, although there were no reports of any serious injuries.

The road was re-opened by just around 10am.

Expert Opinion

It is of course very worrying to see reports of these incidents emerge and it is welcome to see officers identify concerns over icy conditions and look to address them quickly. <br/> <br/>"However, with the weather only set to get colder in the coming months, it will be important that every effort is made to ensure roads north of the border and across the rest of the UK are treated when necessary. <br/> <br/>"We would also urge all road users to make certain, as ever, that they always put safety first when heading out on the roads in the coming months. Taking care is absolutely vital to ensure keep themselves, other road users and pedestrians safe. <br/> <br/>"The ultimate priority will be to make sure incidents of this nature are not repeated in the future."