0:00:02 > 0:00:04The A1, Britain's longest road...
0:00:05 > 0:00:09..stretching almost 400 miles from the City of London
0:00:09 > 0:00:11to the heart of the Scottish capital...
0:00:13 > 0:00:17..connecting two nations and passing through 18 counties.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18It's an unrivalled highway,
0:00:18 > 0:00:22used by hundreds of thousands of vehicles every day.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26We're going southbound down the A1 on the northbound carriageway.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29But not all journeys go to plan.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34I thought, I'm going to lose my life.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36The cars are coming close.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39It is a dangerous place to be.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Lives can hang in the balance.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44The rear end of that vehicle, it's unrecognisable.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46This is actually the bodywork of the car.
0:00:47 > 0:00:4924 hours a day...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51It's not a safe place here.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53..there's a team of people who keep us safe from harm.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56The police...
0:00:58 > 0:00:59..response teams...
0:00:59 > 0:01:03We don't know whether we've got the road closed or we don't know what's happened.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04..and traffic officers...
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Keep going.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11..keeping Britain's most iconic road...
0:01:11 > 0:01:12Get out!
0:01:12 > 0:01:14..on the move.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Substantially damaged flatbed truck in lane two.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21The A1, the monster that it is, will start to return to normal.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Coming up...
0:01:27 > 0:01:30..a rush-hour breakdown puts lives on the line...
0:01:30 > 0:01:35The effect of hitting a wagon at 40, 50, 60mph can be fatal.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36..a deadly disruption
0:01:36 > 0:01:39as a collapsed power line closes the A1...
0:01:39 > 0:01:41The pole's either been struck by lightning
0:01:41 > 0:01:43or it's been hit and it's collapsed.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Are police attending, I presume?
0:01:47 > 0:01:51..and a stranded vehicle spells danger for traffic officers.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53It's particularly narrow, this bit.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I'm not happy about being here myself, to be honest.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05In the north-east of England, the A1 road connects Gateshead, Sunderland,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Durham and Newcastle,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11making it a vital arterial route for tens of thousands of commuters.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Rush hour is always busy and any hold-up can become a major incident
0:02:18 > 0:02:19within minutes.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23It's six o'clock, and just outside Newcastle,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27patrol officer PC Alan Keenleyside is racing to the scene of the latest
0:02:27 > 0:02:31incident on the southbound section of the motorway.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36We've had a report of an articulated wagon broken down
0:02:36 > 0:02:38in the middle lane of three.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41It's looking like the brakes have locked on, on the trailer, which
0:02:41 > 0:02:43is actually a common occurrence.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46It's a fail-safe that HGVs have,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49that if you have any issues with the braking system,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51the brakes will lock on.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55The priority in cases like this is to get there,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58illuminate the scene as best as possible, to give advanced warning
0:02:58 > 0:03:02to members of the public to slow down.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04We're making our way down the A1 now.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Probably a couple of minutes away from the incident.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11The truck is stranded in the middle of this busy motorway.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Traffic is travelling up to 70mph.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Alan's concerned there could be a major pile-up
0:03:16 > 0:03:19and lives could be put at risk.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23There may not be hazard lights at the top of the wagon so the truck
0:03:23 > 0:03:26could be, to all intents and purposes, stationary,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28but invisible to members of the public.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34The effect of hitting a wagon at 40, 50, 60mph,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36if it's stationary, can be fatal.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41I'm going to have to start fighting through the traffic, here.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Members of the public, they've had a long day in the office
0:03:48 > 0:03:51and this is a major inconvenience to them getting home.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Traffic officers are already on the scene,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58warning drivers of the blockage.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Get some cones out and just cone it off.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04The priority now is to make the area safe by sealing off the inside lane
0:04:04 > 0:04:07so a recovery vehicle can gain access.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12What we're hoping to happen by doing this,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14we're going to be able to get up the near side of the wagon,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17do some remedial repairs and get the vehicle moving,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21so it might look like we're being a bit extreme but by doing this,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24hopefully, the vehicle will be moving in the next few minutes.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28If it doesn't work, it's going to be a big recovery.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Two lanes are now closed and hundreds of vehicles are caught up
0:04:31 > 0:04:35in the tailbacks. It's frustrating for commuters, but a necessity.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Unfortunately, what we can't have is
0:04:38 > 0:04:41a stranded vehicle in the middle lane
0:04:41 > 0:04:45and have two lanes of vehicles moving either side of it.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I know people will think this is probably crazy.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49We just can't have it, all right?
0:04:49 > 0:04:51So people will be driving past going,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53"What's wrong with the left-hand lane?"
0:04:53 > 0:04:56People are going to be moving around this wagon to affect the repairs to
0:04:56 > 0:04:57try and get the vehicle going.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00We can't have cars driving past.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03All it takes is one person, because naturally,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05when people look to the right, the car goes to the right.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08When people look to the left, the car goes to the left.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11We can't afford that to be happening both sides of the wagon.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13In this case, we've closed the slow lane and we're now going to be
0:05:13 > 0:05:16working to try and get this wagon repaired.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Within just five minutes, the area is secure,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24but the recovery vehicle is still half an hour away.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29What we've got now is five, six miles of traffic building up behind.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33What we need to do now is link in with the recovery firm and get that
0:05:33 > 0:05:37wagon here as quickly as we possibly can to get this wagon moved,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41because I used to like my rugby and I used to play at a reasonable level
0:05:41 > 0:05:45but I couldn't push that! Definitely not.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Alan has done all he can to make the area safe.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- It couldn't happen at a worse place, worse time, could it?- No, it's terrible.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Mechanical breakdown with a vehicle, best will in the world,
0:05:55 > 0:05:56you just can't do anything with it.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59But with stop-start traffic, the risk of a major accident
0:05:59 > 0:06:03further north is growing with every second that passes.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Highways England and Transport Scotland deal with over
0:06:11 > 0:06:164,000 breakdowns every year and each one brings its own challenges.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Head south of Newcastle and the A1 takes drivers through the farming
0:06:20 > 0:06:24fields of North Yorkshire to the coalfields of South Yorkshire,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28where traffic officers Paul Day and Rob Larkin are on duty.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Got one on the hard shoulder, up here.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32They're following up a report about
0:06:32 > 0:06:35a broken-down car just past Doncaster.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37It's an incident first dealt with by the night shift.
0:06:40 > 0:06:46He's had a blowout. He's been given a reasonable time to get it sorted,
0:06:46 > 0:06:51so we're going back to make sure that what he's said is right.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- And happens.- And he's left.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Paul and Rob are hoping the car has long gone by now.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00If he's still there, obviously we have to take
0:07:00 > 0:07:02another course of action.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04In the reasonable time that we've given him,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06we expect him to have dealt with it and have gone.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11And that reasonable time is sort of a standardised time limit
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and it's two hours.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19But the car hasn't moved and there's no sign of its driver.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21I'll talk to him if he wants me to.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Until suddenly, he appears from across the fields.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Ah!
0:07:27 > 0:07:30I'll come and talk to you in a minute. Just give me a minute.
0:07:31 > 0:07:341-3, apologies, it's 16 over six Bravo A1M.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37We've got the vehicle that should've been removed
0:07:37 > 0:07:39that we got passed on from earlier.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Yeah, I'll just have a word with the driver but it is still in situ.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44- Over.- They got it at ten to six.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46So it's had a good three and a half hours.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52He's had a long enough time to shift it, so he needs to be moving
0:07:52 > 0:07:54or we need to know why it's still here.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Around 50 people are killed or severely injured in hard shoulder
0:07:59 > 0:08:03accidents each year. This car is parked on a bend,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05leaving other motorists less time to react.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09It is particularly narrow, this bit.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11It's known for getting a lot of accidents.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15I'm not happy about being here myself, to be honest.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17The driver, Bogdan,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20explains he struggled to change the tyre himself.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26He doesn't have breakdown cover but he has called a friend to come and help.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31I wait for a friend to bring me a key to change the wheel.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I appreciate that, but you've been here three and a half hours.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36- Where's your friend?- Now?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- Yes.- Coming here.- Where?- Where? From where?- Where?
0:08:40 > 0:08:42From Royston to here.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43- Royston at Barnsley?- Yes.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49While Paul tries to trace Bogdan's friend, Rob needs to ensure
0:08:49 > 0:08:53other drivers are aware of the hazard on the hard shoulder.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55Where are you exactly?
0:08:58 > 0:08:59You're eight miles from here?
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Right, bye.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- He's still at home. - Still at home?- Yeah.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11The fact his friend hasn't even left home is not good news for Bogdan.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14He saying it's 15 minutes, but he's still at home.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Why is he still at home three hours after he should've been here?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20I don't know, because don't find me.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22So, has he come to here and gone back again?
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- Yes.- Right.- You can ask.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Yeah, I have but he's still at home. That's what I'm saying.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30You're saying he's in Doncaster, and he's not.
0:09:30 > 0:09:31No, because he's going in Doncaster,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34don't find me, and I think he's going home.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40It's not illegal to drive without breakdown cover, but Bogdan's
0:09:40 > 0:09:42stranded car is posing a risk.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45If he doesn't move it soon, Paul will call the recovery truck
0:09:45 > 0:09:49and Bogdan will be landed with a hefty bill.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Nearly 110 miles north, near Newcastle, another
0:09:55 > 0:10:00stationary vehicle is still proving a major concern for the police.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05A lorry's brakes have seized up on the southbound side,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07meaning two lanes have been closed.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10A1 patrol officer PC Alan Keenleyside
0:10:10 > 0:10:14is battling to get the motorway open as quickly as possible.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17We've tried to reset the systems on this wagon.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Unfortunately, it's been unsuccessful.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22We're going to have to arrange a recovery.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26For 30 minutes, two lanes of the motorway have been closed.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29There's already more than six miles of standing traffic.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31The truck's driver is Joe Steele.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34So, what's the crack, Joe? What's happened?
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Stuck in traffic, coming up the hill.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37And, obviously, it was moving slowly.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Next thing I know, the brakes lock on.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42And, obviously, I just checked it over and it's not...
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Great. Brakes on the trailer?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Brakes on the trailer. So it's just not ...
0:10:46 > 0:10:49There's no pressure. You can hear the hissing coming from the front.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50- Yeah.- So there's a leak somewhere.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53And that's a fail-safe of the trailer, isn't it?
0:10:53 > 0:10:55- Yeah.- So if you've got an issue,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57they'll lock on, rather than not work.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- Yeah, yeah.- So the pressure actually keeps the brakes...
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It locks it on when you start it up,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05the pressure takes it off and when the pressure fails,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08it actually locks the brakes on, doesn't it?
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Yeah. Safety features.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Joe uses the A1 regularly,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16transporting freight between the north-east and Yorkshire.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20So he can sympathise with his fellow road users.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25I'm frustrated for everyone else, so I find it very frustrating.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29It's just causing... Causing chaos, you know.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I couldn't foresee it, otherwise I would've chosen lane one to be in,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36so I wouldn't have caused so much trouble for everyone else.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38The brakes have decided they don't want to play ball today.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40So, you know, just unlucky.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Unlucky day. Unlucky day.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49Finally though, after 45 minutes, the truck mechanic is on the scene.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- Hello, mate, you all right?- Yeah.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Just go on, you've got lane one to work in, as well,
0:11:54 > 0:11:55so fill your boots, all right?
0:11:59 > 0:12:01He can hear the engine revving.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04He's trying to get the air in the system to build up pressure to
0:12:04 > 0:12:07release the brakes. So by revving that engine,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10it's going to get the air pressure up as quick as he can,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13so this is the mechanic just triaging the wagon.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15This is like what a doctor does in resus with a patient.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17And this is what the mechanic's doing.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20And you can hear the air coming out the front of the wagon, here,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23so there's clearly an issue that may still require...
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Even though the mechanic's here, it may still require recovery.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29You can hear the air coming out of there.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31That shouldn't be sounding like that.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35It's not looking good...
0:12:37 > 0:12:41..and tailbacks are growing with every second that passes.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42But in situations like this,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46light relief can be found in the most unlikely of places.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48Terry the turtle.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Does it...? Does he get some smiles from kids and things?
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Yeah, he does, yeah. Puts smiles on people's faces.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57That's what it's all about, isn't it?
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- What it's about.- Bit of cheekiness.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03But, today, it's the mechanic who's putting smiles on faces.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08He's managed to patch up the brakes, meaning the truck can leave the A1.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Happy with that, all right? No worries, at all. I'll follow you up.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Yeah, I'll follow you up, all right? Just in case there's an issue.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19But get into this lane straightaway, all right? Right, lads!
0:13:19 > 0:13:23And Alan and the other traffic officers can reopen the road.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28A1's back open, my colleagues in the Highways Agency have just lifted
0:13:28 > 0:13:31that now, so cars should be starting to come past here.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Again, it will be getting up to around 40, 50mph.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36I would imagine, however,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40we're going to be looking at the best part of 40 minutes, 45 minutes,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43until the backlog starts to work its way through.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45This is where it gets quite frustrating for members of the
0:13:45 > 0:13:48public because they're sitting in a traffic jam and all of a sudden,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51they get there and there's nothing apparent.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54It's just that residual traffic that we need to start moving
0:13:54 > 0:13:56through the scene to get going again.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Alan escorts the lorry to some local services for further checks.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04This is actually a truck stop,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06so the driver will spend the night here.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10He's actually gone out of hours as a result of this breakdown.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15And he's now due a 15-hour lay down overnight.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17So this is him parking up.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20This will be his bedroom for the next 15 hours.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Despite rush-hour delays for commuters,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Alan has helped get this stretch of the A1 moving again
0:14:26 > 0:14:28without any serious incidents.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32There's a lot of wagons, there's a lot of commercial vehicles
0:14:32 > 0:14:35on the road, and these vehicles are on the road all the time.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38If they develop a fault, an HGV driver's generally got
0:14:38 > 0:14:42sufficient power to get that vehicle off the road.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43If the driver can't get off the road,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46he'll just end up stopping in a live lane.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49It's pretty rare. So when it happens, it does test us.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52We've got to get there quickly, we've got to make it safe.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56And, yeah, sometimes, we've got to think outside the box a little bit
0:14:56 > 0:14:59to get the issue rectified.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10The A1 near Washington is a three-lane stretch of motorway
0:15:10 > 0:15:15and as the stranded HGV proved, hold-ups can cause big delays.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23In the Newcastle CCTV control room, Ian Lee is the man responsible for
0:15:23 > 0:15:27keeping traffic flowing along a 130-mile stretch of the A1
0:15:27 > 0:15:30between North Yorkshire and the Scottish border.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Adam, can you drop that camera for us?
0:15:33 > 0:15:37It's now October and it's the Friday before half-term,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41so the A1 will soon be busy with people heading out on holiday.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Yeah, we have in excess of 60, 70 cameras that cover the A1,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51predominantly around the A1 western bypass.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53You know, there's a nice one with the Angel Of The North
0:15:53 > 0:15:55in the background. That's an accident blackspot.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Blaydon Bridge, that crosses the Tyne.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00There's no hard shoulder on the bridge.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01So when something does break down,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04traffic does start coming to a standstill really quickly.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08So far, apart from the odd breakdown, it's been a quiet shift.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11I'll get two to go to the other one.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13And then we'll sort it out from there, mate.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15It's a bit of an average day.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18We're not having anything overstretched.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23But, to be honest, within five minutes, that could soon change.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28And just minutes later, Ian's prediction comes true.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32NCC, you're speaking to Adam.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Reports are coming in that live electricity cables have fallen onto
0:16:36 > 0:16:38the carriageway, blocking the road.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42It's a ScottishPower cable.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45It's attached to a pole going across the A1.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48And the pole's either been struck by lightning or it's been hit
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and it's collapsed and the cable's across the floor.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Are police attending, I presume?
0:16:53 > 0:16:55We don't know whether they've got the road closed, or...
0:16:55 > 0:16:58We don't know what's happened.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00It's potentially a very dangerous situation,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03and it could hardly have happened in a worse location.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08The actual incident is within this section.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10It's single carriageway up at Berwick.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12There's very little dual carriageway up there.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16So it does have potential to cause disruption to a lot of traffic.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21And the timing's also going to cause issues.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24It's Friday, before the half-term, so we are getting the...
0:17:24 > 0:17:29It's historically the last week of caravanning,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33so we will have a lot of people travelling for long weekends.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Probably in the next two hours,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39the traffic flows will be picking up in that area.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41So we'll hopefully be looking to resolve this
0:17:41 > 0:17:42within the next couple of hours.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47With one of the major roads between England and Scotland closed,
0:17:47 > 0:17:51it's a serious accident and Ian needs to head to the scene.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Kelvin, is ScottishPower at scene at the minute, over?
0:17:57 > 0:18:01In Berwick, the road is closed in both directions.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Traffic is being sent on a five-mile diversion.
0:18:03 > 0:18:091-1, I'm now at scene, I'm going to be liaising with contractors, over.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10- RADIO:- I'll await your update.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Right, John, I understand the cables have gone down, is that right?
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- This is what's happened.- Right. - Pole's snapped right at the top.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26There's obviously been a problem up here with one of these dishes.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27- It's burnt away.- Right.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29And it's been trying to track down the pole.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31What it's done is it's hit the weakest point
0:18:31 > 0:18:32and the pole's snapped.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Right, got you.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36But with the cables suspended,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Ian's struggling to grasp why the A1 cannot be reopened.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Sorry, just for my ignorance, I suppose,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45this vehicle's doing what at the minute?
0:18:45 > 0:18:46It's holding up this line.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49- Right.- Once we release the tension on these conductors...
0:18:49 > 0:18:51- Yeah.- ..there's nothing holding that line up.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- Oh, sorry, that way. - That way.- Got you. Right.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56So from post, that way. Right.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01- So is that the way you can only... - That must stay there.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05- Right.- It must.- And there's no other way you can...- No.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11There's no way the road can open until the work is complete.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Right, so, the question's been asked just from my hierarchy down south,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19is can we get this open in the near future?
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Right. I've already discussed it with the guys down the bottom there.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24I would be reluctant to let traffic come through here.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Right.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31The road has already been closed for three and a half hours
0:19:31 > 0:19:35and it's now approaching tea-time on a half-term weekend.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37But there's nothing Ian can do but wait.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Six counties away near Doncaster,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48two traffic officers also have a problem to deal with.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55A car has been sat on the hard shoulder of this busy stretch for
0:19:55 > 0:19:59three hours and Paul Day and Rob Larkin need it shifting.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04I've phoned your friend, he says he's 15 minutes away, which is fine.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07But because you've had over the time that they've given you...
0:20:07 > 0:20:09- Yeah.- ..what I'm going to do,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12is I'm going to start our removal process going.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15It won't matter to you, it just means that they're running
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and if he can't find you or something else goes wrong,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20this can't stay here any longer.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22- OK?- OK.- So what they'll do,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26they'll come and they'll remove the car from the side of the motorway.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Safest place, which is the next junction.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32And that will be a cost, OK?
0:20:32 > 0:20:35The driver, Bogdan, has been waiting for his friend to come and rescue
0:20:35 > 0:20:40him ever since his tyre blew out. But his friend hasn't shown up.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44He's called somebody and they're basically...
0:20:44 > 0:20:46He's saying that they can't find him.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48So he's gone to a house up here
0:20:48 > 0:20:51to then use their phone to call him again.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54I've rung him again and he's saying he's eight miles away.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58This lad's saying he's in Royston, which is eight miles away.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- Barnsley?- Yeah.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05So what I think we do, is we get start rolling, regardless...
0:21:06 > 0:21:08..and we give it 15 minutes.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10I think that's the safest way.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Yeah. Well, he's had his time, hasn't he?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- He's had three hours. He's had three and a half hours.- Yeah.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Although hard shoulders can be used for emergencies,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22they're not the safest place to stop.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Dozens of people are killed
0:21:24 > 0:21:26or seriously injured on them every year.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29And now Paul has spotted something that makes this incident
0:21:29 > 0:21:35even more dangerous. Bogdan's wife is still in the car.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Has your wife got a warm coat?
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Yes, blanket from her sister.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Right, she needs to get out of the car,
0:21:42 > 0:21:47because if any of these come across here and hit that car,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49- there will be trouble, all right? - OK.- All right.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54Highways England's advice is always to stand away from your vehicle
0:21:54 > 0:21:56in event of a breakdown, whatever the weather.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Keep watching traffic, because it's dangerous, all right?
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Stay here.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Doreen was on her way to an interview,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06an interview she will now miss.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10I'm OK. I'm a little disappointed
0:22:10 > 0:22:13because I didn't get to the interview.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17I will send them an e-mail when I get home.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21It was for team manager, the interview.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Yes, I am pretty sad about it because it was a good job.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29We will see.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32If the couple don't shift the car soon,
0:22:32 > 0:22:37a removal truck will move it for them and it will cost £150.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42But just as Bogdan is starting to give up hope about his friend showing up...
0:22:42 > 0:22:45This could be him. The guy on the bridge.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48You need to tell this fella how to get here.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52..he appears, albeit in the wrong place.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Luckily, Rob knows a quick route down and soon the elusive friend
0:22:56 > 0:22:59can get to work, with a bit of help from Paul.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Don't lift it any higher than that.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Take them nuts out, and then hit it.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Because I don't think that wheel will come off.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11I think the wheel will be stuck on, because it's absolutely solid, that.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17Because them wheel nuts were so tight, the alloy's fused to the hub.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21It oxidises and it causes a really tight seal.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22It happens a lot.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25I don't want it too high, because he's got to get that wheel off.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31The wheel is fixed, and all's well that, after three and a half hours,
0:23:31 > 0:23:32finally ends well.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39I'm now happy because everything is OK.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43And there's just some time for some friendly advice from Paul.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45If you ever need it again,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48you need to use the emergency phones at the side of the road.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51They tell you, tell us, exactly where you are,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53and you can talk to us.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Then our control room could have put you through to your friend
0:23:56 > 0:24:00and patched you in, and it would have been resolved on the phone.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Yeah? All right?
0:24:02 > 0:24:05So just keep that in mind when you are travelling up and down.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Thank you, thank you.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09OK, hope your job goes OK.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11And thanks to the traffic officers,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Bogdan and his wife, Doreen, are back on the road.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Keeping the A1 safe and moving at all times of the day is a priority
0:24:20 > 0:24:22for any traffic incident supervisor.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Nearly 180 miles north in Berwick, though,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29network manager Ian Lee has a huge problem.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34On this stretch of single carriageway,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36the A1 has been completely closed
0:24:36 > 0:24:40for four hours after a power cable fell on the road.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- RADIO:- Problems currently on the A1 at Berwick,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45they've closed the A1 there.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48All traffic having to divert through Berwick.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Ian is battling to get the road reopened,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53because busy half-term traffic is mounting up.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- PHONE:- In terms of the incident, I know you're at the scene,
0:24:58 > 0:24:59have you got any other update?
0:24:59 > 0:25:03I can give you an update. I've been here literally ten minutes.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I've spoke to SP Energy, who are the contractors for this area.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09There's now no cables at all on the A1,
0:25:09 > 0:25:16but what we do have is a four-wheel drive vehicle keeping the tension on
0:25:16 > 0:25:20the existing three cables that are crossing,
0:25:20 > 0:25:25that go to things like customers' houses, etc, etc.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26This tension can't be released.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Is that work planned to take the next eight hours, Ian,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34in terms of getting those works done?
0:25:34 > 0:25:38At the minute all he's given us is that original time slot.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40I suspect he gave me one of them looks as if to say,
0:25:40 > 0:25:41"If you stop talking to us,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43"I'll get it done quicker as well," but, erm...
0:25:46 > 0:25:48There's nothing more Ian can do
0:25:48 > 0:25:51than wait while the engineers try to fix the lines.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Over the top far side now.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09So the road has been shut for quite some time now.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14The original incident came in around 20 to one this afternoon.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20It's now 25 to seven, so we're still looking at
0:26:20 > 0:26:22probably about half past ten,
0:26:22 > 0:26:2611 o'clock reopening time.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35With the damaged pole and cables already being replaced,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39the engineers are making better progress than expected.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Contractor John finally has some encouraging news for Ian.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50If all is good, I don't want to...
0:26:50 > 0:26:51Oh, go on, excite us, mate.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52If all is good...
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- ..eight o'clock? - That will do for us.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Might get back for a last gin and tonic.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Two hours on, John has proved as good as his word.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Champion. Right.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10The repairs are now complete.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Now Ian needs to get the road moving once more.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17The incident support, they will go down to the bottom closure now.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20As soon as we make sure that the southbound is clear,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24they will open that and we will also strip back the northbound
0:27:24 > 0:27:26and then the road will be fully open.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29You know, three hours ahead of schedule
0:27:29 > 0:27:31is an absolute bonus for us.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36For Ian, it's been a successful end to a tough day...
0:27:38 > 0:27:41..and he might even get home for that drink after all.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Happy days!
0:27:53 > 0:27:57After limping to the services, the lorry's brakes were eventually fixed
0:27:57 > 0:27:59and driver Jo was able to get back on the A1
0:27:59 > 0:28:01and continue his deliveries.