Motorists on the M25 are facing a miserable morning commute, with four separate incidents – a lorry fire and three crashes – closing lanes at different points around the orbital motorway.
The disruption began just after 7am on Thursday, and drivers have been warned to expect long delays and to allow extra time for their journeys.
Follow our live blog below for the latest updates as the morning progresses.
What is happening on the M25?
Four separate incidents are currently affecting the motorway:
- A lorry fire near Heathrow has closed two lanes anticlockwise.
- A multi-vehicle crash near Waltham Abbey has closed two lanes.
- A crash involving a lorry near the QE2 Bridge is blocking one lane.
- A separate crash near Orpington has blocked one lane.
With incidents spread across four different sections of the motorway, drivers joining at almost any point around London could find themselves caught in the disruption.
Heathrow lorry fire
The most serious of the four incidents is the lorry fire near Heathrow, which has closed two lanes of the anticlockwise carriageway.
The fire was first reported at around 4.35am. It has closed lanes one and two of five on the anticlockwise carriageway between junction 13 for Staines and junction 12 for the M3, with congestion stretching back towards junction 14 for Heathrow Airport. Traffic is also moving slowly on the opposite carriageway towards junction 11 at Chertsey as drivers slow to look at the incident.
The stretch of motorway around Heathrow is one of the busiest parts of the M25 at the best of times. Research published last month found that the clockwise section between junctions 14 and 15, near the airport, is the slowest on the whole motorway during the evening peak, with the same journey taking more than three times as long at 4pm as it does at 7pm.
With two lanes closed during the morning rush hour, delays on the approach to the airport are likely to build quickly.
Crash near Waltham Abbey
A multi-vehicle crash near Waltham Abbey, in the north-east of the orbital, has also closed two lanes.
The crash, involving several vehicles, has closed lanes one and two of four on the anticlockwise carriageway between junction 27 for the M11 and junction 26 at Waltham Abbey, just after the Bell Common Tunnel. Congestion is stretching back towards junction 28 for the A12 at Brook Street, following an earlier brief traffic hold. The collision was first reported at around 6.30am.
Six vehicles were involved in the collision — a lorry, a van and four cars — and the incident has been affecting the motorway since around 6.20am. Congestion has since worsened significantly, with queues stretching back towards junction 29 for the A127 at Romford and severe delays on the anticlockwise carriageway.
The incident is on the section of motorway that runs through Epping Forest towards the Dartford Crossing, a route used by thousands of commuters travelling into London from Essex and Hertfordshire each morning.
Lorry crash at the QE2 Bridge
A crash involving a lorry near the QE2 Bridge is blocking one lane at the Dartford Crossing.
The collision has blocked lane one of three on the clockwise carriageway after junction 30 for the A13 at Lakeside and Purfleet, with traffic queueing for around two miles on the approach to the bridge. The crash was first reported at around 6.50am.
The bridge carries the M25 southbound over the River Thames at Dartford, and it is one of the most heavily used river crossings in the country. Even a single lane closure there can send queues back for miles in both directions during peak hours, with traffic also backing up through the tunnels that carry northbound vehicles under the river.
Crash near Orpington
The fourth incident is a separate crash near Orpington, in south-east London, which has blocked one lane.
The crash is on the clockwise carriageway between junction 4 at Orpington and junction 5 for the M26 and A21 towards Sevenoaks, with congestion stretching back towards junction 3 at Swanley Interchange. The incident was reported at around 6.25am, with traffic information first issued at 6.35am.
A fifth incident on the M23
A separate crash involving a coach has also blocked a lane on the M23 southbound at junction 8 for the M25. The incident is affecting lane two of two, next to traffic joining from the M25, and queues are building on the slip roads from both directions of the M25, adding to disruption around the interchange. The collision was first reported at around 8.38am.
That puts pressure on the southern section of the motorway, used by drivers travelling between Kent and Surrey and by commuters heading into south London.
Advice for drivers
Motorists have been advised to check their journeys before setting off and to allow additional time.
With four incidents active at the same time, delays are likely to spread well beyond the immediate area of each closure as traffic diverts and queues build through the morning peak.
We will update this live blog as the situation develops, including any reopenings and the latest on delays.
A difficult week on the M25
The disruption comes a day after a crash between junctions 11 and 12 near Chertsey closed all lanes of the anticlockwise carriageway on Wednesday morning, with delays peaking at around 90 minutes before the road fully reopened.
Overnight works are also under way at junction 3 at Swanley, where signal upgrades mean overnight restrictions until 18 December, although traffic management is due to be removed over the Christmas and New Year period.
For now, though, it is the four incidents this morning that are causing the problems, and drivers are being urged to plan ahead.
This is a developing story. Follow the live blog above for the latest updates.
