One of Britain's busiest motorway intersections has been closed to traffic as part of work to replace a viaduct passing over the M1.
The 36-hour closure of the M1 at its junction with the M6 near Catthorpe, Leicestershire, will allow demolition crews to dismantle a bridge linking the two motorways which has reached the end of its working life.
Motorists are being advised to plan journeys in advance and avoid the area if possible during the closure, which began at midnight on Friday and is expected to be lifted at noon on Sunday.
The Highways Agency said the M1 had been closed northbound between junctions 19 and 20, and southbound between junctions 19 and 18, while the link from the southbound M6 to the M1 is also shut.
However, access from the M6 to the A14 will remain unaffected throughout, and clearly signed diversion routes will be in place for traffic affected by the closure.
Ivan Marriott, project manager for the Highways Agency, said: "Demolishing the old structure is a big engineering feat, and the only way that we can remove it safely and quickly is by closing sections of both motorways."
Full details of the closure and diversions are available on the Highways Agency's website.