Workmen have spent almost an entire day on repairs to a road barrier after a lorry careered off the A2.

A total of nine Highways Agency staff worked overnight to repair more than 140 metres of roadside barrier which was destroyed when the lorry crashed at the London-bound Tollgate junction. No other vehicles were involved.

The Gravesend slip road was closed all day on Thursday following the 6.40am smash, which also damaged three lighting columns.

Traffic heading for Gravesend was diverted to the next junction, at Pepper Hill, where long queues were reported.

Repairs began at 4pm yesterday and continued into the night.

The slip road eventually re-opened at 9.25am today, but the hard shoulder remained closed while workmen continued to assess the damage. A Highways Agency spokesman said: "There was extensive barrier damage and three lighting columns have had to be replaced. They are quite complex repairs."