Drivers on Devon and Cornwall border face weeks of lengthy delays after bridge crash

Drivers on the Devon and Cornwall border face weeks of lengthy delays after a bridge was badly damaged in a crash.

A car ploughed into the historic stone structure near Gunnislake on Tuesday.

Devon County Council says it is working on repairs 'as quickly and as safely as possible'.

The two people in the vehicle escaped with minor injuries - but the damage to the bridge is causing chaos for local residents.

Drivers crossing from Cornwall into Devon have to follow a 45-minute diversion.

Engineers say "It will be some days yet before they know the full extent of the damage, and are unable to predict today with certainty how long repairs will take."

• Here is the location of the accident and the official diversion:

A spokesman for the Council said scaffolding is being erected "but given the design required it'll take a few days.

"Come Monday or Tuesday though we expect our engineers to have a much better, more informed view of what the extent of the damage is, and therefore of the repairs needed before the bridge can be reopened.

"This is however a Grade 1-listed structure. We have to give it a sympathetic repair, which means that we will have to use lime mortar, and that takes longer to cure to get up to strength. We do not want this bridge closed any longer than is absolutely necessary."

Traffic diversions will be in place around the bridge whilst repair work is carried out.

Devon County Council says that it will be keeping the public informed of progress on Twitter @DevonAlert