I was blown away by the emergency response to this dramatic M65 crash

We can be quick to criticise the faceless 'highways bosses' when it comes to potholes, temporary traffic lights or tailbacks.

They're to blame for everything - apparently - and I have to confess that I've unreasonably cursed them myself on many occasions. But it's rare that they get any praise and it's only right that we recognise their work, often in unenviable conditions, when credit is due.

Last Sunday afternoon I was heading onto the M65 at Junction 4 in Darwen when I spotted my route on the westbound entry sliproad had been coned off with various emergency service vehicles blocking the lane. On closer inspection I saw that a large HGV had seemingly tipped over while steering left from the roundabout.

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It looked incredibly dramatic; with the contents spilled onto the tarmac and the lorry lying prone in the undergrowth. Unbelievably - but fortunately - nobody was hurt.

After I drove along the M65 in the opposite direction to the next junction, to then turn around, I headed on my original journey before returning to East Lancashire some two hours later.

I wasn't surprised to see the sliproad still closed but I took a couple of trips round the roundabout to get a better look. Lane closure warning signs had been placed on every road leading to the roundabout and traffic cones protected the recovery workers as they painstakingly moved the contents from the HGV onto a waiting wagon which I assume was to allow the stricken lorry to be more easily lifted.

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It was like an emergency services Christmas do; recovery truck, police and highways, as well as staff from the haulage company, and they worked swiftly and efficiently to resolve what must have caused them to lift their eyes to the heavens on first glimpse.

Police had warned that the road would be closed "for some time" so you can imagine my surprise when I drove on the roundabout the following morning and saw not a single piece of cracked plastic or damaged tarmac.

Not only had the lorry been expertly recovered, and the debris cleared up, but the sliproad had even been freshly resurfaced complete with lane markings.

Just 12 hours later and there was no sign a collision had occurred -Credit:LancsLive

Credit where it's due; it can't be easy to liaise with all the various departments needed to turn the sliproad back to its former state, and certainly not in such a short space of time.

So, for once, high five to highways.