This is a developing story. We are covering the M25 Dartford Crossing crash live — follow our live blog below for the latest updates as we get them.
A crash has partly blocked the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing this morning, causing delays for drivers on the M25 during the Friday morning rush hour.
The collision was reported between junction 31 and junction 1a on Friday, 16 October. The QEII Bridge, which carries the M25 over the River Thames between Essex and Kent, was left partially blocked while the incident was dealt with.
Queues began to build on the approaches to the crossing shortly after the crash was reported, with commuters and freight traffic heading towards the bridge caught in the disruption. Drivers are being warned to expect delays and to allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.
The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing. Image: John Fielding, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Dartford Crossing is one of the busiest road crossings in the country, with tens of thousands of vehicles using the bridge and tunnels every day. Even a partial blockage of the QEII Bridge can lead to long tailbacks, particularly during peak periods when the road is already running close to capacity.
Friday mornings are among the busiest times on the M25, as commuter traffic combines with lorries and vans making deliveries around the capital. Motorists are being urged to check live traffic information before setting off and to consider delaying non-essential journeys through the area if they can.
Traffic officers are at the scene managing the flow of vehicles past the incident, and recovery vehicles are expected to attend to clear the carriageway so that all lanes can be reopened as soon as possible.
It is not yet known how long the disruption will last, but delays are likely to continue while the clear-up operation takes place. Drivers caught in the queues are advised to stay patient, keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front and follow any instructions from officers at the scene.
The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge opened in 1991 and, together with the two Dartford Tunnels, forms the only fixed road crossing of the Thames east of London. The cable-stayed bridge carries southbound M25 traffic from Essex into Kent, while northbound vehicles travel through the tunnels.
Because there are so few alternative crossings nearby, any incident on the bridge tends to have a knock-on effect across a wide area, with traffic spilling onto local roads through Dartford and Thurrock and adding to congestion there.
National Highways, which is responsible for the M25, uses overhead gantry signs to warn drivers of incidents ahead and will often impose temporary speed limits through affected stretches. Motorists are asked to obey these signals and to avoid using the hard shoulder unless they are directed to do so by officers.
The crossing has caused headaches for drivers before. Planned overnight closures of the QEII Bridge have disrupted journeys during recent roadworks, while serious incidents elsewhere on the orbital motorway — including a crash near Cobham — have shown how quickly queues can build on the M25.
Enforcement on the motorway can also be strict, as one M25 motorist discovered after being hit with a £418 fine for breaching weight limits.
Anyone planning to travel through the area today is advised to allow significantly more time than usual, to consider alternative routes where practical and to keep an eye on travel updates for the latest information.
With the clear-up still under way, the advice for now remains simple: check before you travel, allow extra time, and expect the delays to take a while to clear even after the bridge reopens.
We will keep this live blog updated as the situation develops, including when the bridge fully reopens and the delays begin to ease.
