Frenchgate tunnel re-opens after lorry smash causes traffic chaos in Doncaster

Emergency services were called to Trafford Way in the city centre in the early hours of this morning – with huge traffic jams building up around the scene of the crash at morning rush hour.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We were called at 4.01am this morning to reports of a collision in Trafford Way, Doncaster. It is reported that a lorry collided with a bridge near Frenchgate causing structural damage. No one has been injured.

“A section of Trafford Way under Frenchgate tunnel heading away from the city centre towards Wheatley was closed but has since been reopened.”

Unconfirmed reports suggest a lorry was involved with a ventilation fan inside the tunnels which run underneath the Frenchgate shopping centre. While the road has re-opened and police have now left the scene, it is understood that Highways England officers remain at the scene.

Drivers were asked to avoid the area as traffic built up on Carr House Road, Balby Road and White Rose Way. It is the second time in a matter of months a lorry has caused disruption after causing damage to the tunnel.

In June last year, a low loader got stuck trying to go through the tunnel towards the railway station.The road was closed for a number of hours while structural checks were carried out on the tunnels which date from when the transport interchange and extended Frenchgate were opened in 2006.