Bank hols mayhem
M-way mayhem after bridge smash
A MOTORWAY bridge collapse caused misery for thousands of drivers trying to get away for the bank holiday.
The walkway over the M20 – one of the main routes to the south coast – came crashing down on to a lorry.
It fell after being hit by a truck carrying a digger yesterday afternoon, leaving one person injured.
Witness Kalpana Fitzpatrick said: “What we can see is two trucks squashed by this bridge and emergency services are at the scene.
“The side I’m on, the bridge is still hanging, and obviously the traffic has been stopped. It’s quite shocking.”
Both lanes were shut all day and the incident, near Sevenoaks in Kent, caused tailbacks lasting several hours.
Many people got out of their vehicles when it became clear they were going nowhere.
A motorcyclist in his fifties was taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs sustained when the bridge came down.
The accident came as the AA predicted that yesterday would be the busiest day on the roads this year, with an estimated 10million drivers getting behind the wheel.
From Friday to Monday around 13million cars would be on the UK’s highways, the motoring organisation added. Several music festivals are on this weekend, leading to extra traffic.
They include Reading and Leeds, Creamfields near Warrington in Cheshire, and CarFest South in Overton, Hampshire.
Rail passengers also faced disruption, with nearly 1,000 engineering projects being carried out on the network and several lines closed.
Network Rail’s route managing director Martin Frobisher said: “Work takes place 365 days a year but we carry out larger upgrades over bank holidays when there are fewer passengers travelling.”
Airports were also extremely busy as families jetted out for some guaranteed sunshine overseas.
Travel organisation Abta said it would be the busiest weekend of the year. It predicted around two million Britons would go abroad between Friday and Monday.
Chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “This weekend is the traditional curtain closer for the peak summer months.
“It is always a very busy weekend for travel, with millions taking advantage of the long weekend to head off overseas.”
At home, Brits faced weather misery as forecasters warned of rain and thunder spreading across the country last night, with warnings issued across much of the UK.
Thunderstorms were predicted for Yorkshire, the Midlands, the east of England, the south west, London and the South East later today.
But sunny conditions are due to return to most parts of the UK early next week.