Bridge accident causes disruption

A damage assessment is due to be carried out on the bridge

The M9 motorway was blocked southbound for almost five hours after a lorry hit a bridge north of Stirling Services on Sunday morning.

Diversions were set up but at one stage traffic stretched back as far as north of the Keir roundabout at Dunblane. There were no reports of casualties.

The wide load hit the bridge at Chartershall just after 1000 BST.

A damage assessment of the bridge was due to be carried out by Stirling Council officials.

One local man who saw the aftermath of the accident said: "The load looked like a huge bit of North Sea oil equipment or something.

"I heard that it had hit a girder at the top of the bridge.

"The load then swung round blocking the motorway and the lorry hit the central reservation barrier."

The bridge carries a minor road from the small community of Chartershall near Bannockburn and has been closed for the time being.

The motorway was reopened at 1500 BST on Sunday.