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M20 to reopen after footbridge collapse

The M20 in Kent has reopened to traffic after a crash in Kent where a lorry struck a footbridge crossing the motorway.

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No people are believed to be trapped in the debris, however one person is believed to have suffered injuries, not reported to be life threatening at this time, Kent Police said. “We went to the wreckage and saw the lorry and the man underneath”.

A motorcyclist fell off his bike and was hospitalised with broken ribs, while the trucker was treated for shock.

An estimated 13 million drivers are expected to take to the road for a holiday or an outing between Friday and Monday, according to the AA.

He said: “We are facing a real challenge to lift two HGVs and a motorbike clear of the scene and deal with all of the rubble from the collapsed bridge strewn across both carriageways”.

“Officers are in attendance along with Kent Fire and Rescue Service and South East Coast Ambulance Service. Traffic will be heavier than usual”.

Highways England agency spokesman Stuart Thompson said safety checks had proven “very complex”, particularly on the part of the bridge that still looms over the highway’s eastbound lanes. The M26 is also closed in both directions between the M25 and M20. Highways England had earlier said the westbound was open.

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The M20, one of two motorways that link London with the cross-Channel port of Dover and the nearby Eurotunnel terminal, is due to reopen around 12:00 BST.

M20 bridge collapses on top of cars and lorrries in Kent