London-Channel highway reopens day after bridge collapse

LONDON – A highway linking London with key cross-Channel routes has reopened after safety officials removed rubble from a collapsed bridge and ensured that the rest of the structure wouldn’t fall down as well.

The M20 highway running southeast of London had been closed for 30 hours since midday Saturday, when a westbound truck struck and partly destroyed a pedestrian bridge. A motorcyclist fell off his bike and was hospitalized with broken ribs, while the trucker was treated for shock.

Highways England agency spokesman Stuart Thompson said safety checks had proven “very complex,” particularly on the part of the bridge that still looms over the highway’s eastbound lanes.

Safety officials installed motion detectors to monitor whether the bridge remains stable and imposed a reduced 50 mph (80 kph) speed limit.