TWO lanes of the M1 northbound have reopened after a section of the motorway was closed following a scrap yard fire underneath the road on Friday.

The motorway was closed between junctions four and one, from Brent Cross to Elstree, shortly after the blaze started at around 4am beneath the bridge in Mill Hill.

The huge blaze in a skip yard has caused untold misery for tens of thousands of drivers visiting the capital for this weekend’s FA Cup semi-finals and the London Marathon.

Construction work is being carried out on the bridge as well as investigations to determine what remedial work needs to be done.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said it aims to have at least one southbound lane open this morning.