Huge pipe tumbles from lorry onto A66 leaving trail of destruction
A mammoth pipe tumbled from the back of a lorry onto the A66[1] causing a trail of destruction.
Emergency repairs are underway on the major Teesside route, between Cargo Fleet Lane and North Ormesby[2], after the 20-metre pipe fell from the lorry and left craters in parts of the road on Wednesday.
Police officers closed off the road with traffic from the A66 being diverted up towards Borough Road in Middlesbrough. Motorists have been urged to avoid the area, and while Cleveland Police[3] confirmed there were no injuries, a time frame on how long repairs will last is currently unknown.
Middlesbrough Council[5] has confirmed that the 1.5-diameter section of the pipe spilled from the lorry just past the Shepherdson Way junction, between North Ormesby and Cineworld. It said a “lengthy closure” is likely as the crane will be required to lift a section of the pipe and repairs need to be carried out.
Footage from the incident was shared widely on social media, with some describing it as like a scene from a Final Destination film. In a video sent to Teesside Live, you can overhear a person joke “dropped something?” as they pass by the pipe.
The pipe on the A66 (Image: UGC)
“Severe delays” of 14 minutes were caused along the A66 Westbound between B1513 Old Station Road and A172, where the average speed was just five mph.
A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: “This is likely to be a lengthy closure as a crane will be required to lift the section of pipe, and repairs will need to be carried out to the carriageway. Where possible we would advise motorists to avoid the area until further notice, and we apologise for any inconvenience.”
Traffic site Inrix said: “A66 Westbound closed, queueing traffic due to emergency repairs from Borough Road (Middlehaven Interchange, North Ormesby[6]) to Marton[7] Road (Marton Road Interchange, Middlesbrough).”
A Cleveland Police[8] spokesperson said: “The A66 westbound is closed between Cargo Fleet Lane and North Ormesby[9] in Middlesbrough[10] due to concrete falling into the road from a lorry and causing damage. Please avoid the area and use alternative routes.”
References
- ^ A66 (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Cargo Fleet Lane and North Ormesby (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Cleveland Police (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ LIVE: A66 westbound closed after huge pipe tumbles from lorry leaving craters in road (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Middlesbrough Council (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Ormesby (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Marton (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Cleveland Police (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ North Ormesby (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Middlesbrough (www.gazettelive.co.uk)