A giant sinkhole closed two lanes on the M5 and caused damage to several vehicles.
A sinkhole impacted the M5’s northbound carriageway between junction eight and junction nine in Worcestershire, on Saturday.
Reports suggest the hole was about six inches deep and a foot long.
The spot on the M5, which is near the popular weekend destination the Cotswolds, means some motorists have been delayed by up to an hour.
The hole also caused damage to several vehicles, Gloucestershire Police reported.
National Highways said the cavity came following reports of a defective bridge joint on the M5.
A tweet from National Highways South-West read: “There are delays of over an hour on the M5 northbound in Gloucestershire due to emergency road surface repairs taking place between J9 (Tewkesbury) and J8 (for the M50), where 2 (of 3) lanes are closed.
“National Highways contractors and specialists are in attendance, and repairs will be taking place throughout the afternoon
“We strongly advise you allow extra time for your journey if you’re travelling in the area this afternoon, and consider alternative routes if at all possible.
“Further incident information is available from National Highways by visiting our www.trafficengland.com website and travel apps. Our 24/7 Customer Contact Centre is also available to provide up to the minute information on 0300 123 5000.”
Gloucestershire Police tweeted: “Lanes 1 & 2 are closed on the M5 NB carriageway between J9 for Tewkesbury and J8 for the M50 interchange.
“This is due to a hole in the second lane – several cars have sustained damage. This is expected to cause delays/tailbacks – motorists are advised to seek alternative routes.”
By about 7pm, traffic was moving on the road again.
Elsewhere, a vehicle was left completely destroyed after it caught fire on the hard shoulder of the westbound M4.
