A slip road onto a major motorway has reopened this morning after a 20 tonne bridge support fell off a lorry.

The huge metal object seriously damaged the surface of the road, which required emergency repairs, and left the key route out of action for 11 hours.

Kent Police were called to the M20 coastbound Junction 8 slip road just after 3pm yesterday following reports a heavy goods vehicle had shed its load.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency confirmed that a bridge support had fallen off the back of a heavy goods vehicle and come to a rest by the Junction 8 roundabout.

Recovery vehicles left the scene just after 9pm but the road was not open to traffic until 2am.

In the meantime motorists were advised to use Junction 7 and Junction 9 as alternative routes.

Earlier on Tuesday Kent County Council Highways were urging motorists to avoid Lenham Heath Road, in Maidstone, after a two car collision at 2.35pm caused an oil spill.

Police attended the scene and no injuries were reported.

Highways officials have now announced the road is safe to use.