A man has died after a serious crash on the A11 on a new section of road at Barton Mills.

The dual carriageway was closed between Fiveways in Mildenhall and Elveden Forest in Elveden following the two vehicle collision around 1.45am this morning.

Officers are investigating the scene and a diversion has been in operation via the A134 and A14.

The road re-opened at 4.40pm having been closed in both directions between the Fiveways Roundabout (the A1065/A1101 junction) and the B1112 near Mildenhall after the two-vehicle collision.

The Highways Agency and its contractors worked throughout the day to reopen the road. After the police concluded their investigation at the scene, the road was inspected for damage, repaired and resurfaced.

There are residual delays in the area and drivers are advised to plan their journeys and allow extra time to travel.

There was a single occupant in each car, with one man dead and the other driver taken to West Suffolk Hospital with minor injuries.

A spokesman for Suffolk police said the road would be closed for a “quite considerable” amount of time due to damage to the road surface when one vehicle caught on fire.

Repairs to the road surface are being carried out.

A spokeswoman for the Highways Agency said a five metre stretch of tarmac had been damaged by the incident. There was no indication of how long repairs would take at this point.

Any witnesses to this collision are asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Team at Suffolk Police on 101.

There is a northbound diversion at Fiveways to follow the A1065 northbbound to Brandon then southbound along the B1107 to rejoin the A11 at Thetford.

The southbound diversion is currently the A134 southbound to Bury St Edmunds and the A14 westbound to Newmarket.

Road users should allow extra time for their journeys in the area and may wish to consider alternative routes.

A lorry also shed its load of roughly 20 tonnes of paper at the Fiveways roundabout at around 7.30pm.