M18 near Doncaster is fully re-opened after fatal carriageway blaze

The road was shut in both directions on Monday night after a HGV smashed into the central reservation and caught fire.

The driver of the truck was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Highways employees have been working around the clock since the tragedy to carry out repairs to 70 metres of barriers and carriageways which were badly damaged ot destroyed in the incident.

All lanes near junction 2 reopened yesterday evening. However, 50mph speed limits will be in place while permanent repairs are carried out.

National Highways Service Delivery Manager Mandy Foster said: “Although we were able to repair the metal barrier on Tuesday, repairing the concrete barrier is presenting some challenges because the incident damaged the section where the metal merges into the concrete.

"We’ve carried out a temporary repair but it’s going to take around three weeks before we can complete the permanent fix.

“We want to keep traffic moving so have taken the decision to reopen lane two on both carriageways but with a mandatory 50mph speed limit in place for the safety of the travelling public.

Further updates will be given once a date has been fixed for the permanent repair after the late summer bank holiday weekend.

Drivers are reminded to allow extra time for their journeys or seek alternative routes. For updates follow @HighwaysYORKS on Twitter or see live traffic conditions at www.trafficengland.com