TRAFFIC slowed to a crawl in parts of Belfast today after what appeared to be a fissure opened up on a bridge on the M1.
The chaos caused by the closure of two countrybound lanes for close to five hours was compounded by a traffic accident at the other end of the West Link.
The two inside lines on the bridge at Stockman's Lane were closed most of the afternoon for what was described as "emergency pothole repairs" by TrafficWatchNI.
But images of the potholes appear to show a long fissure on the road.
A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: “A safety defect was noted by inspectors on the surfacing layers on Stockman's Lane bridge deck on Wednesday morning.
"In the interests of safety to the travelling public it was determined than an immediate repair would be required."
The road re-opened at approximately 4.30pm.
In a separate incident an accident on the Westlink close to Clifton Street caused further frustration for motorists.
Long delays were reported on the motorway while traffic was also diverted via exit and entry slip roads.
Congestion was reported at York Street on the A12 Westlink westbound. Motorists faced delays of approximately 25 minutes across parts of the city .
