Motorway closures tonight

The carriageways will be reduced to one lane in each direction after 10pm, and Bedfordshire Police will slow traffic down and bring it to a stop for a short period of time while the gantry is installed.

Similar overnight work will also be carried out on 20, 21 and 22 September.

Highways Agency project manager Andy Hitch said: “Bringing the traffic temporarily to a stop will allow us to lift the gantry into place and bolt it securely into position.

“Once this is complete the traffic will be able to continue. We expect the lifts to take place between midnight and 3am in the morning, although on the Saturday nights the lifts could be as late as 4am to 5am.

“To minimise disruption the work is being carried out overnight when traffic flows are lowest and we do not expect any noise disturbance for nearby residents.”

All lanes should be reopened by 6am.