M1 closure: Motorway closed for more than an hour by police after pedestrian wanders onto carriageway

National Highways Yorkshire, which is responsible for the motorway network in the region, reported that there were two miles of tailbacks after the road was closed in both directions yesterday evening, because of what its officials described as a ‘police incident’ which had happened between junctions 37 and 38.

National Highways finally put out a message to say that the road had been re-opened again, but not until after 8pm in the evening. They said that the northbound carriageway re-opened earlier than the southbound one.

South Yorkshire Police said in a statement: “Officers were called to reports of a pedestrian on the M1 motorway between junction 37 and 38 at around 6.41pm (October 16). The motorway was briefly closed while the pedestrian was safely taken off the network by Highways.”