Dartford Crossing tunnel shut after lorry crash

A tunnel at the Dartford Crossing was closed for more than 30 hours after an oversized lorry struck crucial pieces of equipment.

The left tunnel, which takes drivers under the River Thames from Kent into Essex, was shut at about 12:00 on Friday and reopened at 20:00 on Saturday.

National Highways said extensive damage had been caused by a lorry that was "over the permissible" entry height.

Motorists experienced delays of up to two hours while repairs on the tunnel took place.

Access between the Littlebrook Interchange at Dartford, Kent, and Purfleet-on-Thames in Essex was limited due to the closure.

The roads authority said the damaged equipment, which includes CCTV, ventilation and fire suppressant systems, was "essential to the safe operation of the tunnel".

"Therefore, traffic cannot flow through it until repairs are carried out," it added.

National Highways explained that engineers had been working in shift patterns since the damage took place to carry out repairs.

It said in a statement: "We have all available personnel and resources available continuing to work at pace to address this issue and get the damaged tunnel reopened as soon as it is safe to do so.

The other tunnel remained open for traffic but drivers were warned by the authority to expect congestion.

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