M25 CLOSED after lorry ‘struck central reservation’ & fell sideways across the carriageway – sparking traffic chaos
ROAD users face chaos after a lorry hit the central reservation on a segment of the M25.
Surrey Police confirmed the carriageway between junction 10 (A3) and junction 8 (Reigate) was closed after the accident last night.
The lorry hit the central reservation just before 23:50 last night before coming to rest sideways across the carriageway.
An air ambulance was in attendance but there were no injuries reported at the scene.
A diversion route has now been put in place and drivers have been recommended to plan ahead.
Main alternative routes include travelling onto the A240 and the A217.
National Highways posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Traffic has been STOPPED on the #M25 anti-clockwise between J9 (#Leatherhead) and J8 (#Reigate) due to collision.
“We will keep you updated.“
The latest update has revealed that recovery is now complete and the road surface is being assessed by specialist engineers.
Diversion Route
Drivers have been advised to follow the diversion signified by the hollow square symbol.
- Exit the M25 anti-clockwise at J10
- Join the A3 northbound towards London
- At Tolworth, exit the A3 and join A240 Tolworth Interchange
- Take the 3rd exit at the roundabout and join the A240 towards Reigate
- Continue onto the A24 at Organ Junction
- At the A24 Ewell bypass roundabout, take the 1st exit onto the A240 towards Reigate
- At A240/A217 Burgh Heath junction, turn right at the traffic signals onto the A127 towards Reigate
- Follow the A217 towards the M25
- Re-join the M25 anti-clockwise at Reigate Hill Interchange
Source: National Highways
It comes after commuters were hit with travel disruption following severe weather.
Major roads were closed and railways lined blocked.
Manchester airport‘s runways were closed early on Monday morning because of heavy snow but have since reopened.
Severe weather warnings from the Met Office remain in place for large parts of the UK.
It was the UK’s coldest night of the winter so far, with a temperature of minus 13.3C recorded in Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands, between Ullapool and Inverness.
The Environment Agency has issued 166 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 299 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, across England.
In Wales, there are three flood warnings and 34 flood alerts.
Several stretches of A-roads across England are also closed because of severe weather.
These include:
- The A66 in Cumbria in both directions between the A1M and the M6 because of snow.
- The A628 Woodhead Pass in South Yorkshire/Derbyshire in both directions between the A616 for Flouch and the A57 for Hollingworth because of flooding.
- The A49 in Herefordshire in both directions between the A4112 for Stockton and the A44 for Leominster because of flooding.
The A46 in Warwickshire is also closed in both directions between the A452 for Kenilworth and the M40 (junction 15) because of a crash.
National Highways said “a car is reported to have aquaplaned due to flooding in the area”.
Aquaplaning is when a driver loses control because a layer of water prevents their tyres from gripping the road.
Severe weather is also causing widespread disruption on the railway network.
Flooding has forced the closure of all railway lines between Derby and both Nottingham and East Midlands Parkway.
This is affecting CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway services.
The operators are also disrupted by flooding closing all lines between Peterborough and Leicester.
Southeastern trains are unable to run from Ramsgate or Margate towards London via Canterbury West because of a fallen tree.
Great Western Railway said its trains between Bristol Parkway and Gloucester are running at a reduced speed because of “heavy rain flooding the railway”.
TransPennine Express said severe weather is causing the same issue for its services between Barnetby and Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.
Flooding means Transport for Wales services between Manchester and North Wales are only able to operate between Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester.
Manchester airport said at 7.15am that its two runways had reopened, after reporting at 6.30am that they were closed because of “heavy snow”.
Three departures for Monday have been cancelled and a number of other flights are delayed.
The Met Office issued a yellow rain warning covering much of the West Midlands across to the Lincolnshire coast is in force until 10am, while a separate warning for snow and ice covers much of northern England and North Wales until midday.
There is also a yellow ice warning for Northern Ireland until midday, and two warnings for snow and ice which combined cover much of Scotland, one until 11am and another until midday.
Most of the UK saw heavy snow or icy rainfall over the weekend.
Major airports closed their runways for several hours due to heavy snow, while there were stranded vehicles and collisions which blocked key roads across northern England.
Cold air will return and remain across the whole country from Monday onwards after a brief spell of milder conditions in southern areas, the Met Office said.