M20 re-opened after footbridge collapse

• ITV News Correspondent Ria Chatterjee reports

The M20 in Kent has re-opened, 24-hours after a digger on the back of a lorry hit a footbridge and caused it to collapse.

Highways England said the London-bound Kent section of the motorway has fully reopened, but only two of three coast-bound lanes will remain open.

They said the delay was caused by safety issues.

The footbridge collapsed on Saturday afternoon at the height of the Bank Holiday getaway and led to a 15-mile tailback.

The motorway was closed in both directions, between junctions three and four, and one person, a motorcyclist in his 50s, was injured in the incident.

The man, who has not been identified, was taken to hospital but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Earlier, Dez Leach, operations manager at Highways England, told ITV News: "Obviously safety is our number one priority and we can't open the road until it's safe to do so."

Mr Leach also thanked motorists for their patience and advised drivers to "take a little more time for their journey" and check travel websites for information about delays.

Kent Police have said the collapse, on the eastbound carriageway, was caused when a "digger being transported on the back of a heavy goods vehicle collided with the bridge".

As a consequence, the M26 in Kent was also closed eastbound between junction 25 of the M25, and junction 3 of the M20 to "assist management of traffic".

"Road users are being strongly urged to plan ahead and use alternative routes. The road is expected to be closed for an extended duration," police added.

The collapse on the motorway - a main route to the Channel Tunnel and Port of Dover - occurred on the busiest day of the Bank Holiday getaway.

Alex Magaisa, who was travelling with his wife and two young sons to Gatwick Airport, drove past the lorry involved as the bridge collapsed.

He said: "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."

Eyewitness Andy Sunnucks, 24, a passenger travelling from Maidstone to Sevenoaks, said: "We were driving on the road and came to a standstill. People were getting out of their cars and running towards the bridge.

"I could see half the bridge was missing. We went to have a look and the back end of the lorry was in pieces, " he added.