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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| M4 near Bristol closed for seven hours by lorry crash | M4 near Bristol closed for seven hours by lorry crash |
| (1 day later) | |
| The M4 near Bristol has fully reopened, seven hours after a fatal crash which saw the eastbound carriageway closed. | The M4 near Bristol has fully reopened, seven hours after a fatal crash which saw the eastbound carriageway closed. |
| A lorry driver died at the scene of the crash which involved two lorries, close to the Almondsbury Interchange, at about 08:40 GMT. | A lorry driver died at the scene of the crash which involved two lorries, close to the Almondsbury Interchange, at about 08:40 GMT. |
| At one point, traffic was queuing back to the Welsh side of the Second Severn Crossing. | At one point, traffic was queuing back to the Welsh side of the Second Severn Crossing. |
| Police said traffic was slow following the reopening of the lanes. | Police said traffic was slow following the reopening of the lanes. |
| Long tailbacks | Long tailbacks |
| A car fire on the M4 close to the junction for the M32 also caused delays for westbound motorists but the road was later reopened to traffic. | A car fire on the M4 close to the junction for the M32 also caused delays for westbound motorists but the road was later reopened to traffic. |
| Jill Risdale from the Highways Agency said there had been "long tailbacks" in the area - with queues stretching back about 12 miles to Magor in south-east Wales. | Jill Risdale from the Highways Agency said there had been "long tailbacks" in the area - with queues stretching back about 12 miles to Magor in south-east Wales. |
| She added that alternative routes such as the M48 Old Severn Bridge had been slow because traffic could not rejoin the M4. | She added that alternative routes such as the M48 Old Severn Bridge had been slow because traffic could not rejoin the M4. |
| Other accidents on diversion routes such as the M49 - where a lorry hit the central reservation - have also caused problems. | Other accidents on diversion routes such as the M49 - where a lorry hit the central reservation - have also caused problems. |
| The M5 northbound was also badly affected by the M4 closure with queues around Cribbs Causeway and Avonmouth. | The M5 northbound was also badly affected by the M4 closure with queues around Cribbs Causeway and Avonmouth. |
| Ms Risdale said the carriageway had been closed to allow police to recover the vehicles involved. | |
| "Obviously for them it's a good idea to keep the vehicles as intact as possible so they can really understand the cause of the accident," she said. | "Obviously for them it's a good idea to keep the vehicles as intact as possible so they can really understand the cause of the accident," she said. |