Motorway clear early after bridge fall

Workers ahead of schedule to shift 400 tonnes

The damaged remains of a pedestrian bridge which collapsed onto the M20 have been demolished, with work finishing 13 hours ahead of schedule.

The M20 was closed between junctions 2 (Wrotham) and 4 (Leybourne) and parts of the M26 were shut for the work to go ahead, with the closures coming into force at 8pm on Friday.

Drivers expected to have to wait for the motorways to reopen at 6am on Monday but, after 100 contractors shifted 400 tonnes of rubble early, both fully re-opened on Sunday at 5pm.

The pedestrian bridge came thundering to the ground during the previous bank holiday weekend after a lorry carrying a digger hit it, showering 170 tonnes of concrete onto the London-bound side of the motorway.

Rubble landed on top of another lorry and 73-year-old Jim Shaw had to throw himself off his motorbike and slide under the fallen bridge.

Police declared a major incident and the M20 was closed in both directions, leading to traffic chaos on one of the busiest weekends of the year.

The accident left a stump of the bridge overhanging the coastbound side.

Highways England, which oversaw the demolition, said the plan was to use specialist equipment to crunch through the last- standing section. A spokesman said the structure was assessed and a decision made to bring it down in one go.

The operation saw 4,200 man hours used and workers also used the chance to carry out routine maintenance.

This included 10,000 square metres of resurfacing, around five miles of new surface.

Catherine Brookes, Highways England’s chief engineer said: “We’re proud of what we have achieved and we have been able to safely remove the remaining structure and re-open early.

“To reduce further disruption for road users, we also took the opportunity while the motorway was closed to complete some other extra work.”

On Saturday drivers reported slow queues at the roundabout linking the M20 and M2 at Blue Bell Hill.

Kent County Council warned of delays on the M20 between junction 5 (Aylesford) and junction 4, where vehicles were being directed off.

Delays were also felt on the A20, in Ditton and Wrotham, while an accident involving a van on the A21 caused delays around Sevenoaks.

Pictures: John Westhrop/Joshua Coupe Heavy machinery clears up the debris on the M20 where a footbridge had collapsed, right, after being hit by a digger being carried on the back of a lorry