Hours of delays on the M1 in Nottinghamshire were caused by a piece of metal which came free from an overheard gantry.
The southbound side of the road was closed completely between junction 26 and 25 around 4pm on Thursday (February 23) as Storm Doris blew through the county.
Firefighters have revealed the closure was caused by a piece of metal blown free from an overhead sign, which could have fallen on to cars below.
The northbound side also had two lanes closed while a ladder platform was used by crews to repair the damage. The road was re-opened around 6pm.
A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Fire control received a large number of calls and as a result, our crews were called out to assess and make safe a number of buildings and structures which had been affected by the weather conditions.
“One of these incidents saw firefighters work alongside Highways England and Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service to remove a piece of metal which was hanging from a gantry above the M1.
“The incident saw the closure of the southbound carriageway between Junctions 26 and 25 as well as two northbound lanes.
“Crews assessed the structure using an aerial ladder platform and removed the metal.”
