This is a developing story — updates below as we get them.
All traffic has been brought to a standstill on the M25 in Kent this afternoon following a crash between junction 3 for Swanley and junction 2, the Darenth Interchange. Every lane on the anticlockwise carriageway is currently stopped while emergency services deal with the incident.
The affected stretch sits on one of the busiest parts of London’s orbital motorway. Junction 3 is the Swanley interchange, where the M25 meets the A20, while junction 2 — the Darenth Interchange — connects the motorway with the A2 just south of Dartford. Drivers heading anticlockwise towards Kent and the Dartford Crossing are caught in the hold-up.
When all lanes are stopped, nothing is moving past the scene — and queues can tail back for miles within minutes. Motorists approaching the area are being urged to avoid it if they can and to check live traffic information before setting off.
Which junctions are affected?
The stoppage is in place between J3 (Swanley) and J2 (Darenth Interchange) on the anticlockwise side of the M25. Anyone joining the motorway at Swanley will run into stationary traffic almost immediately, while drivers coming from further around the orbital — past Orpington and the J4 interchange — are likely to find queues building back towards them.
Slip roads around the two junctions are also expected to get busy as drivers look for alternative routes, so allow extra time even if you are only travelling locally around Swanley or Dartford.
Advice for drivers
If you are already stuck in the queues, there is little option but to sit tight until lanes reopen. For anyone yet to set off towards Kent, the A2 corridor is worth considering: the Darenth Interchange feeds directly onto the A2 towards Dartford and north Kent, while the A20 runs through Swanley and on towards the coast. Check a live traffic map before you commit to a route, and think about delaying non-essential journeys until the motorway is moving again. If your journey is essential, allow at least an extra hour and keep fuel, water and a charged phone to hand.
As ever with a full motorway stoppage, the advice is to keep a safe distance in the queues, watch for emergency vehicles using the hard shoulder, and never be tempted to turn around or reverse on the carriageway.
How long will the M25 stay closed?
No estimated reopening time has been given yet. Full stoppages like this stay in place until the emergency services have dealt with the scene and the carriageway is safe to reopen, so drivers should brace for significant delays through the afternoon. We will update the live feed above as soon as there is news of lanes reopening.
Delays are likely to ripple onto surrounding routes such as the A2 and A20 as drivers seek alternatives, and local roads around Swanley and Dartford could become congested as a result. Drivers heading for the Dartford Crossing should also factor in extra time, as traffic held on the M25 can quickly affect the approaches to the tunnels and the QEII bridge.
The M25 has seen a run of serious disruption in recent months. A multi-vehicle crash brought the motorway to a standstill between Godstone and Sevenoaks, while two lanes were shut between Potters Bar and Enfield after a separate collision. All lanes were also halted near Iver Heath when a crash triggered long queues.
We will keep this page updated with the latest on the Swanley-to-Darenth stoppage. If you are travelling in the area, check back for the newest entries at the top of the live feed.
