Overview
- A serious four-vehicle crash on the M25 anticlockwise near Waltham Abbey on Friday closed lanes after being reported shortly after 10:30 a.m., prompting Essex Police, ambulance crews, fire services and the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance to attend.
- National Highways said three of four lanes on the M25 have reopened but one lane remains closed while recovery and cleanup continue and drivers face roughly 90 minutes of delay with about seven miles of congestion.
- Later on Friday a heavy goods vehicle jack-knifed on the M5 northbound between J5 (Droitwich) and J4A (M42), splitting its fuel tank and spilling diesel across all lanes and forcing a northbound closure.
- National Highways West Midlands warned the M5 closure will take several hours because specialist cleaning and complex recovery are needed, with drivers told to expect delays of up to 120 minutes and to follow signed diversions.
- No official details have been released about injuries or precise causes for either incident and investigations remain under way while local roadworks such as at Gallows Corner are limiting diversion options and adding to regional disruption.