A lorry that slammed into a bridge before ploughing through a barrier has closed a busy motorway in rush hour.
Shocking images show the wreckage of the cargo lorry which appears to have smashed into the central reservation of the M20 between Maidstone and Ashford in Kent at around 4pm on Tuesday.
Locals reported the lorry carrying building materials suffered a ‘blow out’ with a sound like an explosion before the collision.
A lorry with a trailer has hit a bridge support and central reservation, creating debris.
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A National Highways spokesman said: ‘It was a multi-vehicle collision but no injuries were reported.
‘The clean-up operation is due to take some time.
‘There is just one lane running currently on both carriageways.’
Emergency teams are on the motorway trying to fix the damage.
The agency said in a post on X: ‘Following a multiple vehicle collision, lane 3 of (3) is closed in both directions on the M20 between J8 (#Maidstone) and J9 (#Ashford).
‘One of the vehicles involved has crossed the central reservation causing significant damage which will require immediate repair.’
Responding to a concerned motorist, they added: ‘The lorry that crashed requires recovery and this means that two lanes will likely to remain closed for several more hours. Apologies for any inconvenience.’
One lane is closed from J8 A20 Ashford Road to J9 A20 Fougeres Way after the same crash disrupted traffic both ways. Queues stretch back towards Hollingbourne, frustrating drivers hunting for detours.
Normal traffic conditions are expected to return at 10.30pm.