M4 near Bristol closed for seven hours by lorry crash

The M4 near Bristol has fully reopened, seven hours after a fatal crash which saw the eastbound carriageway closed.

A lorry driver died at the scene of the crash which involved two lorries, close to the Almondsbury Interchange, at about 08:40 GMT.

At one point, traffic was queuing back to the Welsh side of the Second Severn Crossing.

Police said traffic was slow following the reopening of the lanes.

A car fire on the M4 close to the junction for the M32 also caused delays for westbound motorists but the road was later reopened to traffic.

Jill Risdale from the Highways Agency said there had been "long tailbacks" in the area - with queues stretching back about 12 miles to Magor in south-east Wales.

She added that alternative routes such as the M48 Old Severn Bridge had been slow because traffic could not rejoin the M4.

Other accidents on diversion routes such as the M49 - where a lorry hit the central reservation - have also caused problems.

The M5 northbound was also badly affected by the M4 closure with queues around Cribbs Causeway and Avonmouth.

Ms Risdale said the carriageway had been closed to allow police to recover the vehicles involved.

"Obviously for them it's a good idea to keep the vehicles as intact as possible so they can really understand the cause of the accident," she said.