Police in Northern Ireland have given an update following a major recovery operation that kicked off on Friday morning when a livestock lorry overturned on the M1. The motorway had to be shut down in both directions near Dungannon, Co Tyrone, after the incident involving approximately 40 cows. At 4:30 pm, a PSNI spokesperson confirmed that the west-bound lane on the M1 near Lurgan has now reopened completely, after being closed earlier due to the overturned cattle lorry. Some parts of the east-bound lane will stay shut down until the vehicle is towed away.
The ongoing scene on the M1 near Lurgan on Friday morning (Image: Jonny McCoy)
“This whole retrieval process could take quite a few hours. If you’re heading east-bound, just get off at junction 13, take a drive along the Derryhubbert Road, where they’ve put up some traffic lights, and then hop back onto the M1 at junction 12,” the spokesperson added. Earlier in the day, David Doherty, area commander for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS), mentioned that the lorry driver is safe and sound. A Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs representative stated: “The department is aware of the accident and has sent a vet and an animal health and welfare inspector to help out at the scene. “The incident is still ongoing.” For more updates, make sure to check out the Belfast Live homepage and sign up for our daily newsletter.
So, yeah, the police in Northern Ireland had to deal with a bit of a situation after a livestock lorry decided to tip over on the M1. It caused a whole shutdown of the motorway near Dungannon, Co Tyrone. And get this, there were like 40 cows involved in the whole mess. Can you imagine the chaos? Anyway, at around 4:30 pm, the PSNI spokesperson was like, “Hey, the west-bound lane on the M1 near Lurgan is back in action after we had to close it thanks to that lorry full of cows on its side.” But wait, there’s more! The east-bound lane is still out of commission while they figure out how to move the vehicle.
If you’re heading east-bound, you gotta take a little detour. Just get off at junction 13, cruise along the Derryhubbert Road, where they’ve set up some traffic lights, and then jump back on the M1 at junction 12. Simple, right? Oh, and the lorry driver? Don’t worry, folks, he’s totally fine according to David Doherty from the NIFRS. And the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has got their people on the scene, including a vet and an animal health and welfare inspector. They’re on it. The situation is still unfolding, so stay tuned for more updates.
In a nutshell, the M1 in Northern Ireland was a bit of a madhouse when a livestock lorry flipped over, causing a major headache for everyone involved. But hey, the west-bound lane is back up and running near Lurgan, while the east-bound lane is still closed. The lorry driver is safe, thanks to the NIFRS, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is on top of things with a vet and an animal health and welfare inspector at the scene. Stay tuned for more on this developing story.
