Back to work - well almost
This morning was my first day back at work after the Christmas break, at least it was supposed to be. I had planned to go into High Wycombe today, not because I had any specific meetings there, but I like the social side of being in the office and as I plan to spend much of this month working from home just in case Shelley gives birth a bit earlier than the 23rd January due date.
So I set off this morning at my usual time of 6.45 and the traffic seemed pretty quiet on both the M27 and the M3, as expected as a lot of people won’t return to work until Monday. Just before junction 5 on the M3 (London bound) the traffic alerts announced there had been an accident on the slip road at junction 4a but that the main carriage way was unaffected so I chose to continue. Shortly after Fleet services the whole carriage way came to a standstill and the traffic alerts announced the M3 was closed between 4a and 4 and that a diversion was in place from 4a. After about an hour and a half in the queue of traffic I made it to junction 4a and by this time it was gone 9.30. With the prospect of at least another hour to get to High Wycombe (I had only travelled 45 miles in 2 and 3/4 hours!) I decided it would make more sense to turn round, head home and spend the rest of the day working from home.
It turns out, the accident between a car and a lorry (as reported by the radio traffic alerts) was actually caused by the body of a woman being found on the carriage way (read more) - the second time such an incident has happened on the M3 in the last month (read about the first incident).
It looks like snow is forecast tomorrow, so might be another day at home for me. My thoughts go out to the woman’s family.
Tags: Travel
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:52 pm
I made it past the site just before they closed the carriageway. There was a Highways Agency 4×4 and several cars and trucks on the hard shoulder. Then I saw what looked like… well… a heap of meat in the middle of lane 2 with several vehicles driving slowly over it (I was in lane 3). Then I saw a white trainer on the line between lanes 2 and 3.
About 10 minutes later I heard on the radio that the M3 was closed Northbound just after 4a. I only just found out from the local TV news what actually happened.
Erk.
January 4th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Same again today?
January 4th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Luckily my sister sent me a text early this morning that the motorway was already closed and so I avoided the accident by going up the A31 and joining the M3 at J4. Made it to work in really good time. Phew!
January 5th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Steve - what a nightmare! Good job you weren’t involved.