Overview
- On Monday, multiple incidents forced lane closures across key routes as a recovery truck lost its diesel tank on the M25 anticlockwise between J27 and J26, closing three of four lanes for specialist cleanup and emergency resurfacing.
- A serious collision on the M6 northbound near Wigan closed three lanes between J25 and J26 with emergency services on scene and long queues forming back to earlier junctions.
- Separate crashes and an HGV striking the nearside barrier closed two lanes of the M25 between J9 and J10, leaving recovery crews and Surrey Fire and Rescue working and causing multi‑mile delays.
- Planned overnight closures and maintenance on the M25, M1 and A1(M) this week reduced network resilience and meant the unplanned incidents had larger effects on morning peak traffic.
- National Highways and traffic services provided live updates and delay estimates that at times ranged from tens of minutes to around two hours, and drivers were urged to plan, re‑route or delay journeys as lanes were gradually reopened but residual congestion persisted.