A bit of background history. This section of the M20 from what is now junction 3 heading east is older than the J2 to J3 section and the M26/M20 interchange. The road was originally also only 2 lanes plus hard shoulder in each direction when this bridge was built. The road was then widened with the hard shoulder being upgraded to a third running lane. IIRC the central reservation was also slightly narrowed. During the last 2/3 years the junction 3 M20/M26 interchange lanes have been altered and the westbound carriageway at least resurfaced back as far as J4.
cav551:
A bit of background history. This section of the M20 from what is now junction 3 heading east is older than the J2 to J3 section and the M26/M20 interchange. The road was originally also only 2 lanes plus hard shoulder in each direction when this bridge was built. The road was then widened with the hard shoulder being upgraded to a third running lane. IIRC the central reservation was also slightly narrowed. During the last 2/3 years the junction 3 M20/M26 interchange lanes have been altered and the westbound carriageway at least resurfaced back as far as J4.
There’s a bridge on the M5 between Clevedon and Portishead which comes across the motorway and it’s a lot lower on the Northbound section because of its angle and I certainly wouldn’t like to go under it on the hard shoulder with one of our deckers which run at 16’3".
Carryfast:
It’s obvious that the opposite post couldn’t support the whole structure with the opposite post in question being an equally essential support.In which case it at least looks like it needed to be a larger post in all dimensions.Providing enough room to allow the bridge to sit within a type of castellated cradle within the post.With the expansion joint that seems to have sheared being put on the verge side of the post not the road side.
The other side doesn’t have to support the whole structure, only one end of the section which was hit, the other end was supported by the pier next to the hard shoulder.
Here’s a simplified drawing for you:
The section that was dislodged was supported by the cantilevered section and the pier, hence why the other end is safe to leave in place for the time being, it didn’t rely on the now missing peice to stay up, it supported it.
The whole structure is perfectly safe and capable of holding itself up and the load it has to carry (pedestrians) - until someone drove a truck into it, that is.
The drawing is not quite correct,there is no free standing pier, instead the footway spirals down to the ground on the southern side.
google.co.uk/maps/@51.30881 … 312!8i6656
Northern section, which is much longer than assumed.
Glen A9:
Carryfast:
It’s obvious that the opposite post couldn’t support the whole structure with the opposite post in question being an equally essential support.In which case it at least looks like it needed to be a larger post in all dimensions.Providing enough room to allow the bridge to sit within a type of castellated cradle within the post.With the expansion joint that seems to have sheared being put on the verge side of the post not the road side.The other side doesn’t have to support the whole structure, only one end of the section which was hit, the other end was supported by the pier next to the hard shoulder.
Here’s a simplified drawing for you:
The section that was dislodged was supported by the cantilevered section and the pier, hence why the other end is safe to leave in place for the time being, it didn’t rely on the now missing peice to stay up, it supported it.
The whole structure is perfectly safe and capable of holding itself up and the load it has to carry (pedestrians) - until someone drove a truck into it, that is.
The idea of the extended support from the opposite side is clear enough and explains the different design of the post and mounting on that side.The important bit being that it’s foreseeable that something might possibly hit the seemingly lower section of bridge supported by the opposite post.Which in this case as I said seems to be a joke in terms of strength and location of the post and bridge mounting.In that being tapped by a very slow moving,possibly allegedly slightly overheight load,has moved it laterally off the post thereby removing all the support for that section regardless of the support at the opposite side.Which leaves the question of the so far unpublicised height of the bridge at the point of the collision.Which should be easy enough to confirm from the remaining bridge base line at the post.
cav551:
The drawing is not quite correct,there is no free standing pier, instead the footway spirals down to the ground on the southern side.
As I said on the other M20 topic bridge to post mounting is a joke when it would be expected to be something like a vertical version of this at the point where the bridge mounts on the post to provide lateral location at least in the event of possible collision. 
garrettsbridges.com/wp-files … sset31.jpg
Having said that the gantry looks suspiciously higher than the bridge.
Man to appear in court following M20 bridge collapse
A 63 year old man from Darlington was charged with dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and three counts of criminal damage.
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-38614558
Lets now have another 10 pages of crap from all the conspiracy theorists on here.
I’d be more concerned about the bloke having to travel from Darlington to Maidstone in his own time just to have his knuckles rapped and arse kicked.
axletramp:
I’d be more concerned about the bloke having to travel from Darlington to Maidstone in his own time just to have his knuckles rapped and arse kicked.
Are you for real?
He hit a major bridge, seriously injured people and closed a major motorway for three days (twice) , had a miraculous escape he didnt kill anyone and you think the main problem here is he has to use his own time to go to court rather than be paid for it?
Thats a special kind of “taking the drivers side” there!
moomooland:
Lets now have another 10 pages of crap from all the conspiracy theorists on here.
I dont think there will be though.
Carryfast has been awfully quiet since xmas time (Im actually wondering if the men from the government found his lair and it went a bit awray like when Gill got found in enemy of the state!) and im kind of hoping our other resident conspiracy theorist BKing has been put on pre mod after his berlin truck fiasco thread went south
The-Snowman:
axletramp:
I’d be more concerned about the bloke having to travel from Darlington to Maidstone in his own time just to have his knuckles rapped and arse kicked.Are you for real?
He hit a major bridge, seriously injured people and closed a major motorway for three days (twice) , had a miraculous escape he didnt kill anyone and you think the main problem here is he has to use his own time to go to court rather than be paid for it?
Thats a special kind of “taking the drivers side” there!
I never suggested he should be paid travelling time etc.
And I didn’t know you could say “arse” on here without it being bleeped out.
axletramp:
I’d be more concerned about the bloke having to travel from Darlington to Maidstone in his own time just to have his knuckles rapped and arse kicked.
Me too he must be a right ■■■■■■■■ to have hit that bridge I recon he won’t find the court without a guide
kr79:
axletramp:
I’d be more concerned about the bloke having to travel from Darlington to Maidstone in his own time just to have his knuckles rapped and arse kicked.Me too he must be a right [zb] to have hit that bridge I recon he won’t find the court without a guide
Perhaps if he just doesn’t bother turning up on the day the Old Bill will come for him.
But Darlington to Maidstone is unreasonably far. Perhaps he could work with the courts to bridge the gap?
The-Snowman:
moomooland:
Lets now have another 10 pages of crap from all the conspiracy theorists on here.I dont think there will be though.
Carryfast has been awfully quiet since xmas time (Im actually wondering if the men from the government found his lair and it went a bit awray like when Gill got found in enemy of the state!) and im kind of hoping our other resident conspiracy theorist BKing has been put on pre mod after his berlin truck fiasco thread went south
To be fair I actually probably got pre modded for continuing an off topic discussion that had actually been started on the topic in question by someone else.Among other admittedly maybe too much other political stuff that I should have stayed well out of and will in future.As for this topic I think my view of the situation was similar to that of nmm’s.So by your logic he’ll have to pre mod himself. 
Given the potential outcome of a bridge collapse, if the driver has anything about him, he should be delighted to only have to do some travelling.
It’s amazing that he didn’t kill anyone in my view. Not sure what was the biggest mess, the knackered bridge or the motorcyclists undies!