The M20 has partially reopened more than 24 hours after a footbridge collapsed, sparking hours of traffic chaos on one of the busiest weekends of the year. A passing lorry was also partially crushed by the falling bridge.
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A motorcyclist in his 50s was taken to hospital in Tunbridge Wells with suspected broken ribs following the incident, while the driver of the lorry was treated at the scene for shock. “We went to have a look and the back end of the lorry was in pieces”.
Images from the scene show two trucks trapped under the rubble while video footage shows the top of one lorry’s trailer smashed off and debris scattered across the tarmac. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. The accident brought serious disruption on a weekend when an estimated 13 million drivers are expected to take to the road for a holiday or an outing, according to the AA.
A spokesperson for the South East Coast Ambulance Service said paramedics were treating one patient and that the air ambulance were sent to the scene. “Traffic will be heavier than usual”, it added. The M26 was also closed in both directions between the M25 and M20.
Highways England spokesman Stuart Thompson told the Associated Press that safety checks had proven “very complex”, particularly on the part of the bridge that looms over the highway’s eastbound lanes.
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The M20, the main road between London and Dover, reopened in both directions yesterday afternoon.
