More M5 delays as fire-ravaged lorry has to be cut into pieces

After an all-night clean-up operation all but one lane of the motorway is now back open at Junction 4 near Bromsgrove, but the northbound road is set to close again tonight for further repairs.

The damaged lorry had to be cut into several pieces and lifted off the road by a crane after it was gutted by the inferno yesterday afternoon.

The driver escaped with relatively minor injuries, but both the cab and trailer were completely destroyed and it took until 3am for the damaged HGV and debris to be cleared.

As a result Highways Agency workers only had enough time to temporarily resurface lanes one and two of the northbound route before rush hour started, and lane three remains shut today.

Repairs are continuing and all three lanes will be shut again tonight while the road is permanently resurfaced.

Northbound traffic will be diverted 'up and over' past the scene using the exit and entry slip roads.

There were two-hour delays on Wednesday evening after the lorry overturned and burst into flames shortly after 3pm.

Traffic was gridlocked in both directions as firefighters battled the flames from the motorway and a bridge close to the Lydiate Ash exit.

Dramatic images showed the lorry on its side with flames tearing into it as thick black smoke billowed into the air.

The southbound route reopened later last night, but northbound drivers were diverted until two northbound lanes were opened at around 6am.

Highways England warned motorists to expect delays throughout Thursday as a result.

Frank Bird, emergency planning officer for the agency, told BBC WM: "The HGV was so extensively damaged we didn't actually have the clear-up operation complete until about three o'clock in the morning.

"That then dictated pretty much what we had available to us for the rest of the morning, so we took the decision just to resurface lanes one and two. That will be a sacrificial surface for today."