The M20 will stay closed until Monday as work begins to remove a partly destroyed footbridge gets underway.

Around 100 workers began the process of moving the debris on Friday night in an operation expected to continue through the night and over the weekend.

The aim is to remove the rest of the footbridge which is now overhanging the carriageways then remove the rubble so the motorway can reopen.

The busy motorway is shut between junctions 1 and 4 coast-bound and 4 and 2 London-bound tonight and will remain closed until 6am Monday.

As work got underway today, queues were forming at roundabouts linking the M20 and the M2 at Blue Bell Hill, between Maidstone and Medway.

One motorist reported seeing tailbacks of lorries and says the traffic lights have not been adjusted to be able to cope with the extra traffic.

The closure is to enable Highways England to remove the remaining section of the footbridge following its collapse after being hit by a lorry.

Catherine Brookes, of Highways England, detailed the complex operation which will see the bridge brought down bit by bit onto a layer of protective matting.

Diversions have been set up, which also includes the closure of the coast-bound carriageway of the M26.

From 10pm until 6am on Saturday work will be carried out to prepare the motorway, and protect it with matting from falling rubble.

Then from 6am on Saturday until 9pm on Sunday, four huge machines will cut away at the bridge in small chunks to remove the 400 tonnes of concrete and steel.

The rubble will then be removed from the carriageway and verge using tipper trucks.

Finally, from 3am on Monday an inspection will determine whether it is safe to open the stretch of closed motorway.

The work follows the collapse of a footbridge last Saturday.

But Ms Brookes apologised to drivers for any delays, but said she was confident the highway would reopen at 6am on Monday - even with bad weather!

She said: "We are pretty confident everything should go to plan.

"We will be getting hourly updates as to how work is progressing.

"I am confident that by 6am on Monday we should have the work completed."

The diversion route for London-bound traffic will be across to the M2 via junction 7 for Detling and the A249, junction 6 for Maidstone and finally junction 4 for Leybourne.

Coastbound traffic will be signed around the M25 to use the M2/A2.

There will be a 'solid closure' on the M25/M26 (J5) and at junction 3 M25/M20 and on the fast slip on the M25.

Finally there will be a solid closure on the M20 and M26 junction 2.

But the major work is just the start of the repairs planned after the bridge collapse.

Although it is not known what the final bill will be for the works, the next stage will be to build a temporary footbridge over the motorway.

This is likely to be carried out in the next few weeks, with locals consulted about the works.

The bridge will eventually need to be replaced with a more permanent one.

Meanwhile, Kent County Council and Highways England have advised drivers to allow extra time for their journeys this weekend.

The closures are likely to affect people travelling to big events in the county over the weekend including Truckfest at the Hop Farm in Paddock Wood on Saturday and Sunday; the Antiques, Vintage and Collectors Fair at Kent Showground, Detling, also on both days and expecting up to 400 stallholders; East Malling Beer and Cider Festival at East Malling Research on Saturday; and Faversham Hop Festival on Saturday and Sunday, which has attracted more than 40,000 visitors from all over Kent and beyond in previous years.