COMMUTERS could be waiting several months for the IDR to return to normal after the lorry crash on Friday.

The incident happened shortly after 4pm on Friday afternoon on the A329 flyover and caused the road to be closed for more than a day.

A Parcelforce lorry went through the metal railing on the Inner Distribution Road (IDR) and landed on the roundabout underneath.

Reading Chronicle:

Reading Borough Council installed replacement barriers on the A329 late on Saturday, allowing traffic to travel westbound.

However, the authority says it will be a 'number of months' before the stretch of road returns to normal.

A council spokesman said: “Following Friday’s incident where a lorry broke through safety barriers on the IDR, temporary safety barriers were put in place the following evening.

"This allowed the road to reopen to traffic, but capacity on the flyover is reduced to one lane westbound to accommodate the temporary barriers.

“The council will now need to complete a structural review, commission new barriers and seek technical approval for the new barriers before work can begin on site.

"This means that the reduced capacity in a westbound direction on this section of the IDR is likely to be in place for a number of months.”

The driver managed to escape with minor injuries after being taken to Royal Berkshire Hospital for further examination.

Parcelforce Worldwide confirmed it was assisting Thames Valley Police with the investigation. No arrests have been made.