A significant incident related to welfare has resulted in the complete closure of a major UK motorway today. Avon and Somerset Police have announced the shutdown of a section of the M5 highway near Bristol. The affected area spans from Junction 18 (Avonmouth) to Junction 19 (Portbury) as emergency services are currently addressing the situation.
Both the southbound and northbound lanes are experiencing extensive congestion, as reported by National Highways. Traffic monitoring service Inrix has mentioned that all lanes have been reopened after an earlier police incident on the M5 Northbound, causing delays stretching from J20 B3133 Ettlingen Way (Clevedon) to J18 M49, with traffic backed up to J21 (Weston-super-mare).
Following the resolution of the incident by ASPRoadSafety, all lanes on the M5 between Junction 18 (Avonmouth) and Junction 19 (Portbury) are gradually reopening. However, delays persist on both sides, with approximately 30 minutes of congestion northbound and 3 miles of traffic buildup southbound.
National Highways has reported delays of 45 minutes beyond the usual traffic flow northbound, and 30 minutes of delays southbound near diversion points. Motorists are advised to plan their routes ahead of time and allocate extra travel time.
For travelers heading southbound on the M5, National Highways recommends following the hollow circle symbol on road signs, while those going northbound are advised to follow the solid triangle symbol. Inrix has reiterated the closures on the M5 Northbound and Southbound due to police incidents, causing significant delays in the affected areas.
Recent traffic maps display increasing congestion in the vicinity of Bristol following the closure of the M5 in both directions between Junction 18 (Avonmouth) and Junction 19 (Portbury). National Highways has emphasized the ongoing incident necessitating the closure and urged travelers to prepare for potential diversions.
Avon and Somerset Police have confirmed the closure of the M5 between Junction 18 (Avonmouth) and Junction 19 (Portbury) due to the welfare-related incident. Emergency services are present at the scene, but substantial congestion persists, prompting motorists to explore alternate routes.
Traffic data shows extensive delays on the M5 resulting from a police-led incident between Junction 18 (Avonmouth) and Junction 19 (Portbury). Inrix highlights the developing queues on the M5 due to the police incident, with congestion extending to Junction 20 (Clevedon) in the northbound direction and to Junction 17 (Cribbs Causeway) in the southbound direction.
According to Inrix, the M5 is presently closed in both directions due to queueing traffic caused by the police incident from J19 A369 Martcombe Road (Portishead) to J18 M49. National Highways has issued alerts regarding the closure of the M5 between Junction 18 (Avonmouth) and Junction 19 (Portbury) due to the police-led incident, resulting in traffic congestion up to 3 miles southbound and 2 miles northbound.