Drivers on the M25 are in for a miserable Tuesday morning, with a crash near Heathrow bringing part of Britain’s busiest motorway to a near standstill.
The collision happened on the clockwise carriageway close to Gerrards Cross, and three of the four lanes have been shut at Chalfont Viaduct while the scene is dealt with. Only a single lane is getting past the incident, and traffic is already backing up for miles around the closure.
Queues are reported to be stretching all the way back towards Heathrow airport, with motorists facing delays of around 45 minutes. Anyone heading to catch a flight this morning is being urged to leave plenty of extra time, as the tailbacks show little sign of easing.
It is not just the clockwise side that is suffering either. Drivers on the opposite carriageway are slowing down to look at the crash scene, and that rubbernecking is holding up traffic heading the other way too.
Emergency crews are at the scene working to clear the carriageway, but with three lanes out of action the disruption is expected to drag on through the morning rush hour.
The M25 around Heathrow has seen its fair share of chaos in recent weeks. Only last week, a crash before junction 15 for the M4 brought the motorway to a standstill near Heathrow, with every lane closed and major congestion building towards Staines.
And it is not just the western stretch causing grief for drivers. A multi-vehicle crash in Essex shut three lanes between junctions 28 and 29, with rush-hour delays topping 45 minutes before the road was eventually cleared.
There is more disruption on the horizon too. National Highways is planning overnight closures at 22 spots on London’s orbital motorway across four nights, which will add to the misery for regular users of the road.
For now, the advice for anyone travelling this morning is simple: avoid the area if you can, check your route before setting off, and allow plenty of extra time if your journey takes you anywhere near the western section of the M25. Traffic is likely to divert onto surrounding roads, so routes around Staines, Ashford and Gerrards Cross could be busier than usual. We will keep this page updated as the situation develops — follow the live updates below.
