A12 remains partially closed after bridge damage

A lorry hit a bridge and central reservation on the A12 hear Witham, Essex, in the early hours of Monday morning

One lane of the A12 in Essex remains shut a day after a lorry overturned and hit a bridge and a central reservation.

National Highways said the outside lane on the southbound section of the road, between junctions 22 and 21 at Witham, is still closed.

The section of the dual carriageway was fully shut from about 02:30 GMT until about 16:00 on Monday, after the crash.

The lorry driver was arrested on suspicion of failing to provide a specimen for testing, Essex Police said.

'Permanent repairs needed'

The lorry was eventually removed after a "complex recovery".

"National Highways is working hard with its contractors to fully reopen the lane as soon as it is safe to do so", the authority said.

Drivers were being asked to plan and allow extra time for their journey as delays of about 45 minutes in the area remained, it added.

Due to the extent of the barrier damage, permanent repairs were needed before the road can fully reopened.

A temporary barrier will be installed to allow time for specialist work, it added.

The southbound road will be fully closed southbound on Tuesday night to allow the temporary barrier to be installed before both lanes are reopened with 50mph speed limits, national Highways said.