Road flock halts traffic

Apr 10 2008 By John Rowbotham

LANARKSHIRE’S roads were hit by another animal-related hold-up less than 24 hours after cattle brought gridlock to the county.

Sheep caused lengthy tailbacks on the East Kilbride Expressway when they wandered on to the carriageway.

It happened just before midday Thursday close to the turn-off for High Blantyre.

An irate Quarter villager said: “About 20 sheep somehow got out on to the road.

“I was driving towards East Kilbride and the traffic was backed up a mile to the Raith Interchange. I was stuck for about an hour.

“Police blocked the road and directed the sheep off the road and into a field.”

It was not the first time last week that sheep had caused traffic problems.

Animals got on to the old A74 between Larkhall and Blackwood early Monday, and there were more problems shortly before 2pm that day with sheep near the M74 slip road at Canderside.

Chief Inspector Jim Aitken, of Hamilton Police, said officers attended all incidents and led the animals to safety.

The disruption caused by the three incidents paled alongside the chaos brought to roads by the cattle truck accident.

It overturned about 6pm Tuesday on the north-bound carriageway of the M73 at Baillieston.

Some of the 40 cattle escaped from the lorry and began walking on the carriageway.

North-bound traffic was diverted off the carriageway and directed towards fields from which some escaped, leading to the closures of the M73 and M74 on Wednesday morning.

Roads were restored to normal after one of the cows was struck by a train, one by a lorry and others were shot by a police marksman.

Traffic travelling through the roadworks on the M74’s north-bound carriageway, between Raith and Maryville, was tailed back 13 miles at the height of the emergency.

Those roadworks, which have caused lengthy delays at peak periods, are due to finish on Friday, April 25.