The M5 motorway has fully re-opened between Burnham-On-Sea and Bridgwater after a lorry fire shut it for several hours on Friday (October 25th), causing long delays.
Fire crews from Clyst St George, Taunton, Bridgwater, Burnham-On-Sea, Cheddar and Martock were called to the motorway near East Huntspill around 9.30am where a lorry had burst into flames, sending thick smoke across both carriageways.
The truck was transporting agricultural grade milk powder for Mole Valley, the agricultural supplies company. A spokesperson said: “It was likely a wheel or tyre failure caused the fire. The driver called the emergency services immediately and the driver was safe.”
Long queues built up and National Highways said there was “20 miles of congestion, causing delays of at least four hours.”
Two lanes of the southbound carriageway remained closed overnight for road surface repairs, which were completed at 2am on Saturday (October 26th), while the northbound carriageway re-opened around 1pm on Friday.
Local residents in the area reported hearing “three loud bangs” at the start of the incident and then saw thick smoke rising. Fire crews battled the flames with water jets.
There was also congestion on local roads through East Huntspill, Bridgwater and Highbridge as traffic diverted away from the motorway.
The fire service said: “Unfortunately the lorry and its contents sustained severe damage from the fire. The cause of the fire was accidental.”
Police confirmed there was also a separate “medical emergency” on the northbound carriageway between junctions 22-21 which the ambulance service and an air ambulance attended.
