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A421 fully reopens after severe flooding

Ant Saddington/BBC An ariel view of the A421. The road is closed so has no traffic but it is clear of water. Other surrounding roads are busier.Ant Saddington/BBC
The A421 had to be resurfaced after the floodwater was cleared

A major road that was closed for almost three weeks after being submerged by floodwater has fully reopened.

The A421 had been shut at the Marston Moretaine Interchange in Bedfordshire since 22 September after a month's worth of rain fell in under 48 hours.

National Highways teams have cleared 72 million litres of water and the westbound carriageway reopened on Friday, but with a 40mph speed restriction still in place.

Further lane closures will occur during the weekend so safety tests on barriers can take place.

Watch: A421 submerged by flood water in Bedfordshire

Martin Fellows, regional director for National Highways, said: "At this point, I think it's important to recognise the disruption and inconvenience this issue has caused to drivers, local residents and those that rely on this section of road.

"We still have work to do, including testing of the safety barriers, before we can remove the temporary 40mph speed restrictions currently in place."

Tony Fisher/BBC Men in orange high-vis jump suits work at the pumping station, a large crane is set up nearby. There are tankers, trucks and vans packed on the closed, but dry, A421.Tony Fisher/BBC
Water was cleared on Monday and repair work began

The road was shut between the A6 at Bedford to the M1 at junction 13, near Marston Moretaine.

Pumping equipment was used to clear the water - the equivalent of about 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools - before work began to resurface and repair the carriageway.

The roadside pumping station at Lower Shelton was also submerged by water.

National Highways said temporary pumps had been installed to replace those that were damaged while a permanent replacement was designed.

Dawid Wojtowicz/BBC The A421 in Bedfordshire showing a flooded road with ducks swimming on it.Dawid Wojtowicz/BBC
The A421 became waterlogged on Sunday, 22 September

National Highways said there would be eastbound closures to one lane and to the slip roads from 20:00 BST on Saturday to 06:00 on Sunday.

The westbound section, and the slip roads, would be affected from 20:00 on Sunday until 06:00 on Monday.

Once testing had been completed, the 40mph speed limit would be removed, it added.

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