A police-led incident on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge has led to a complete closure of the Dartford Crossing, creating significant traffic congestion on the M25.
The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing has been closed this morning due to a police incident, causing substantial delays on the M25. Emergency services, including Essex Policeare currently attending to the situation, which involves concerns for a man’s welfare.
The closure has led to traffic queues stretching up to 13 miles on the M25, with motorists facing delays of up to 90 minutes. The incident has also prompted a diversion to the Dartford Tunnelsadding to the congestion. National Highways has advised drivers to plan ahead and consider alternative routes or delaying their journeys.
The Impact of the Bridge Closure
The Dartford Crossing is a critical link for road traffic east of London, connecting junction 31 of the M25 at Lakeside/Purfleet to junction 1A in Dartford, Kent. Known as the A282it handles an average of 150,000 vehicles dailywith peak days seeing up to 180,000 vehicles.
Almost 40% of the traffic using the crossing consists of freight vehicles or HGVs. Today’s closure is particularly challenging for these larger vehicles, as those over 4’8m (15’9″) in height must seek alternative routes via the clockwise M25 due to the height restriction on the eastbore tunnel.
Traffic Diversion Details
Motorists are being advised to follow the hollow triangle diversion symbol and take the following route: from the M25 J30 interchange, take the third exit onto the A13 towards Dagenham and Central London. At the A12/A102 interchange, take the exit onto the A102 southbound and continue through the Blackwall Tunnel. Follow the A102 and A2 through Kidbrooke and Danson interchanges towards the M25, then take the exit at the M25 J2 Darenth interchange to rejoin the motorway.
Traffic cameras have shown significant tailbacks, with queues extending 11 miles away from the bridge. The eastbore tunnel is currently closed to northbound traffic, and all northbound crossing traffic is confined to using the west bore Dartford tunnel, which also has a height restriction of 4’8m.
Ongoing Situation and Advisories
The incident was first reported to Essex Police at around 10:50 am this morning. As of now, there is no estimated timescale for the reopening of the bridge. National Highways has stated that due to the nature of the incident, the closure may remain in place for an extended period.
Drivers are urged to allow extra journey time if this closure impacts their planned route. The latest updates from National Highways indicate delays of 90 minutes clockwise and 30 minutes anticlockwise on the M25, with the potential for these delays to extend into the afternoon rush hour.
For the latest traffic and travel updates, follow the ongoing coverage as the situation develops.
