Darlington: A1(M) southbound reopens after lorry fire
- Published
The A1(M) was closed southbound during the morning rush hour
The A1(M) has reopened southbound near Darlington between junction 59 and junction 58 after an earlier lorry blaze.
The HGV, which was transporting paper, caught fire at 01:40 BST on Friday.
While the initial blaze was put out, firefighters at the scene had to deal with flames reigniting several times.
The road eventually reopened at 13:00 BST. Motorists have been warned of delays while a backlog of traffic is cleared.
The lorry fire kept reigniting several times
National Highways said drivers should allow extra time because of two miles (3.2km) of congestion.
The road reopened after the wreckage was cut in half and removed. Durham Police said the driver was "shook up but uninjured".
The road needed to be assessed after the fire
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