The incident unfolded shortly before 7am today at the junction between the A30 and the A377 in Alphington. The A377 is also partially blocked following the incident. Devon and Cornwall Police said in a tweet posted at 8.13am that they expected the A30 to remain closed for "at least two hours".

       "A truck has struck the bridge at Ide on the A30 at around 6:45am today (07/12/21)," the tweet said.

       It continued: "The bed of the lorry is wedged and emergency services are all in attendance."

       Warning motorists to find other routes, it added: "Road expected to remain closed for at least 2 hours. Road users are advised to seek alternative routes."

       The A30 entry into Exeter is a major arterial route into the city, serving the Marsh Barton Industrial Estate, Alphington and lines into the city centre.

       Highways England added that they expected vehicle recovery to be 'protracted'.

       Traffic is building in the area, which is a notorious bottleneck for traffic in the city. Motorists accessing the A38, A380 and M5 all converge on the junction, which is often busy during rush hour.

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       A Highways spokesman said: "A large tipper truck travelling from the direction of Ide Lane struck the bridge on the roundabout underneath the A30 at around 6.45am. We are assisting what is a police-led incident, and an engineer will be assessing the bridge this morning for any potential structural damage."

       He added: "For safety reasons, the A30 westbound has been closed over the bridge, with traffic diverted off and back on via the slip roads. Traffic can still access the A377 from the eastbound A30."

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       The statement also said: "Vehicle recovery is expected to be protracted, the incident is causing delays and drivers are advised to allow a little extra time for their journeys in that location. Vehicle recovery is expected to be protracted".