Mike Mercury
08-28-2016, 4:48pm
M20 reopens hours later than planned after bridge collapse sparks traffic chaos
from The London Telegraph
A motorway has completely reopened more than 24 hours after a footbridge collapsed, sparking hours of traffic chaos on one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Traffic can now use the westbound carriageway of the M20 in Kent, Highways England said, after a stretch between junctions one and four was cleared following Saturday's accident, which saw the structure stuck by a digger being transported on the back of a lorry.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2016/08/28/106897508_M20-aerial-NEWS-xxlarge_trans++pqsyRhlsSEyPLsBz-QJ3v0z4LKYo2gt4wW2Y3BxSbE0.jpg
The reopening was several hours later than planned and Highways England said the eastbound carriageway of the motorway, which leads to the Channel Tunnel and the Port of Dover, remained closed following the incident close to where it meets the M26.
Stuart Thompson, a Highways England spokesman, said: "We have worked overnight and removed part of the structure on the London-bound carriageway.
"We had hoped to reopen by lunchtime. Having done some of these assessments we needed to do more safety work before we reopen it. We will look to get it open again as soon as possible.
"We are look at this evening, hopefully earlier, although we are reluctant to put a time on it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2016/08/27/bridge4-large_trans++sK287jRcGJXGlWI8MSDPuK7MYaF4jcG7BpKGTo-8ZTs.jpg
"It is a very, very complex situation. There are lots of different things needed to be done and we needed to be confident it is safe before we reopen it."
Alex Magaisa was driving past the lorry involved just as the bridge collapsed, with his wife and two young sons in the car.
The University of Kent lecturer, 41, said: "My instinct was just to drive through. My wife saw the bridge falling and there was a big noise. I had to manoeuvre through the debris.
"It was a big shock. It's only just starting to sink in now what might have happened. We were right in the line of fire and we could have been crushed."
Andy Sunnucks, 24, who also saw the incident, said: "We were about 15 cars back on the same carriageway as the collision.
"It looked like a lorry had jackknifed, and I could see half the bridge was missing. We went to have a look and the back end of the lorry was in pieces."
from The London Telegraph
A motorway has completely reopened more than 24 hours after a footbridge collapsed, sparking hours of traffic chaos on one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Traffic can now use the westbound carriageway of the M20 in Kent, Highways England said, after a stretch between junctions one and four was cleared following Saturday's accident, which saw the structure stuck by a digger being transported on the back of a lorry.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2016/08/28/106897508_M20-aerial-NEWS-xxlarge_trans++pqsyRhlsSEyPLsBz-QJ3v0z4LKYo2gt4wW2Y3BxSbE0.jpg
The reopening was several hours later than planned and Highways England said the eastbound carriageway of the motorway, which leads to the Channel Tunnel and the Port of Dover, remained closed following the incident close to where it meets the M26.
Stuart Thompson, a Highways England spokesman, said: "We have worked overnight and removed part of the structure on the London-bound carriageway.
"We had hoped to reopen by lunchtime. Having done some of these assessments we needed to do more safety work before we reopen it. We will look to get it open again as soon as possible.
"We are look at this evening, hopefully earlier, although we are reluctant to put a time on it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2016/08/27/bridge4-large_trans++sK287jRcGJXGlWI8MSDPuK7MYaF4jcG7BpKGTo-8ZTs.jpg
"It is a very, very complex situation. There are lots of different things needed to be done and we needed to be confident it is safe before we reopen it."
Alex Magaisa was driving past the lorry involved just as the bridge collapsed, with his wife and two young sons in the car.
The University of Kent lecturer, 41, said: "My instinct was just to drive through. My wife saw the bridge falling and there was a big noise. I had to manoeuvre through the debris.
"It was a big shock. It's only just starting to sink in now what might have happened. We were right in the line of fire and we could have been crushed."
Andy Sunnucks, 24, who also saw the incident, said: "We were about 15 cars back on the same carriageway as the collision.
"It looked like a lorry had jackknifed, and I could see half the bridge was missing. We went to have a look and the back end of the lorry was in pieces."