I’m trying to work out what has happened here…
Whole M20 around the area is now closed, not just west bound as Traffic England are reporting.
There are a few pics around, but essentially a pedestrian bridge was hit by a wagon carrying a digger and half the bridge collapsed onto one side of the M20. Big question will be why the wagon with the digger was on the hard shoulder at the time it hit the bridge (hope they got a good reason)
According to reports so far, another wagon driving under it suffered trailer damage but managed to get under just in time and a motorcyclist jumped off his bike to avoid colliding with the bridge. Biker was the only injury reported incredibly.
Going by the photo it looks bleedin low for a motorway bridge/gantry. 
While we can assume he’s got under at least a few others before it without a problem. 
Bank holiday weekend, now there’s one popular driver.
trevHCS:
There are a few pics around, but essentially a pedestrian bridge was hit by a wagon carrying a digger and half the bridge collapsed onto one side of the M20. Big question will be why the wagon with the digger was on the hard shoulder at the time it hit the bridge (hope they got a good reason)
The pictures show the chunk closest to the central reservation missing, so I would think it was struck in lane 3, not the hard shoulder.
Bloody mess though!
The truck driver accelerated, and the debris fell over the back of his trailer rather than his cab.
Meanwhile, a car on it’s way to Gatwick alongside - was shielded by the truck taking the debris…
Trucker is a hero here then!
The Motorcyclist threw himself off the bike, and is the only injury apparently.
Luckily there were no horse riders, cyclists, pedestrians actually using the overbridge at the time. Chances are anyone on the bridge on foot would have been killed.
Looking at this pic here, you can see that the bridge was tapering down from left to right (looking eastbound on the westbound carriageway here, near the house with the swimming pool & conservatory seen in the overhead shots)
The bit on the hard shoulder could well be under 16’6"…
Something for councils all over to consider - what with more and more hard shoulders now being opened up for use as live lanes around the country eh?
khdgsa:
trevHCS:
There are a few pics around, but essentially a pedestrian bridge was hit by a wagon carrying a digger and half the bridge collapsed onto one side of the M20. Big question will be why the wagon with the digger was on the hard shoulder at the time it hit the bridge (hope they got a good reason)The pictures show the chunk closest to the central reservation missing, so I would think it was struck in lane 3, not the hard shoulder.
Bloody mess though!
If you hit it on the bridge over the hard shoulder, the bit in the middle might snap, pivot around a bit, and then crumble into rubble making the gap that might look like the strike was at the middle bit…
Looking at this pic it appears the digger is nowhere near the bridge
Winseer:
The bit on the hard shoulder could well be under 16’6"…
It’s probably more likely that he only went onto the hard shoulder to stop after whatever happened to the bridge.
It looks as though the fallen bit of bridge has been carried up the road by falling on the artic trailer. Could be done for being overweight.
The bridges in Spain are marked with the height over every lane even if it is only a couple of centimetres different.
Look at the top right of the pic, that’s where the bridge should be.
It’s difficult to tell from the pics so far the angles distances and heights look different n every pic so far.
rearaxle:
Looking at this pic it appears the digger is nowhere near the bridge
The camera angles seem to be making some weird perspectives.By that photo it looks like the collapsed part of the bridge is sitting way ahead of its support and the bit that’s still left standing on the opposite carriageway.
.
Winseer:
The truck driver accelerated, and the debris fell over the back of his trailer rather than his cab.Meanwhile, a car on it’s way to Gatwick alongside - was shielded by the truck taking the debris…
Trucker is a hero here then!
The Motorcyclist threw himself off the bike, and is the only injury apparently.
Luckily there were no horse riders, cyclists, pedestrians actually using the overbridge at the time. Chances are anyone on the bridge on foot would have been killed.
Somebody buy that truck driver a pint!
Winseer:
I’m trying to work out what has happened here…
A pedestrian bridge has collapsed on a motorway
not so hard to work out if read past the picture
rearaxle:
Looking at this pic it appears the digger is nowhere near the bridge
I think there is very little doubt whatsoever that he has hit the bridge looking at this angle.
Hope Auto Renovations are well insured this will cost them millions. autorenovations.co.uk/about.html
Yep, you can clearly see the impact point where the railings are bent into a ‘v’ shape.