Delays on the M20 after a lorry crashed today. Picture: Highways Agency

A key stretch of the M20 has re-opened more than seven hours after a lorry crashed down an embankment early today.

Motorists faced long delays after the smash closed the London-bound section between J3 for the M26 and J1 for the M25/A20 (the Swanley Interchange) from 5.45am.

Emergency crews spent hours trying to recover the HGV into this afternoon while congestion built.

Kent Police said the carriageway reopened at about 1pm, but the inside lane would stay shut while repairs were carried out.

Congestion had been tailing back as far as J6 for the A229 for Chatham.

Traffic delays were made worse because of the structure of that section of the motorway for motorists heading from Kent to Essex via the anti-clockwise M25.

The M26 turns in to the clockwise M25, with no option to go anticlockwise.

Kent Police said officers were called at 5.10am after reports the lorry had jack-knifed and hit a crash barrier before falling down an embankment near Farningham.

A spokesman said the full width of the road was needed to be shut to recover the lorry from the ditch.

The driver did not suffer any injuries.

Meanwhile, on the M2 westbound between junctions J3 and J1, there were delays of around 15 minutes due to heavy traffic this morning.