TWO bridges have been rammed by articulated lorries in carbon copy accidents in Bolton and Walkden.

In the first incident yesterday motorists had a lucky escape when an articulated wagon hit a bridge near Bolton town centre.

The cab passed under the bridge - which carries Marsden Road over Bark Street - but the cargo section smashed into the bridge. A container on the trailer crashed down but, fortunately, vehicles behind were unharmed.

A parked car was showered with debris but no one was injured.

Experts were called in to examine the bridge but no structural damage was found.

And earlier today a driver was taken to Hope hospital suffering from minor injuries after his 5.5 metre high Fort Sterling paper works lorry failed to get under a 4.5 metre rail bridge on Memorial Road, Walkden.

The cab passed under the bridge but the empty trailer was buckled by the bridge at 6.40am. The road was closed to traffic for an hour and trains on the Atherton line halted while Railtrack inspectors studied the bridge. Normal rail services resumed a short time later once it was declared safe. The driver was allowed home after treatment.

In the incident yesterday a driver, employed by a firm from Yorkshire, was delivering goods to sites throughout the North-west.

A police spokesman said the driver was on his regular route but the wagon he normally drives was under repair yesterday. He was given a hire lorry which is four feet taller.

A police spokesman said: "The driver was embarrassed that he never took his new lorry's height into account." The container was loaded with two tons of cargo.

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