A STRETCH of the A14 closed when a lorry shed its load of onions reopened today for 18 minutes before another crash forced its closure.

A 50-tonne vehicle is understood to have flipped over in the westbound carriageway close to the Shell garage at Nacton, around 500 yards before the Orwell Bridge at 6.50am.

The accident closed both carriageways for around seven-and-a-half hours while the vegetables were cleared and the lorry recovered.

A Suffolk police spokesman said the road was reopened at 2.42pm.

But he said officers have been forced to close both carriageways again after three lorries collided close to the Seven Hills roundabout in the westbound carriageway.

It is understood at least one of the vehicles has gone through the central reservation.

Paramedics and firefighters were also called to the scene as two men are trapped in separate vehicles.

There injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Closing three lanes of the Orwell Bridge earlier left the town centre in gridlock with delays across the road network.

The police spokesman warned those queues are likely to return following the second accident.

There were reports of slow traffic along Felixstowe Road, Landseer Road and Colchester Road as a result of the three-lane closure on the bridge.

Meanwhile, Wherstead Road traffic inched towards the town centre as diverted motorists attempt to find alternative routes off the A14.

Roadworks in the one-way system at Fore Street, and at the Civic Drive roundabout exacerbated problems.

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