THE westbound carriageway of the A31 finally reopened more than six hours after a crash near the Ashley Heath Roundabout yesterday.

There were delays of up to an hour and a half as a result of the closure.

Officers from Dorset and Hampshire Police attended the scene around 1.25pm on Wednesday. 

A red Ford Transit van struck a bridge in the roadworks area close to the A338 slip road.

It is not thought anyone suffered serious injuries.

However, the road remained closed westbound until around 8pm, with traffic re-routed using the exit and entry ramps at Poulner.

Police are believed to have been unable to safely recover the vehicle while the road remained open.