UK motorways and other major roads will face their busiest time of the year this weekend (Picture: Getty Images)

Traffic on the M25 has come to a near standstill leaving August bank holiday drivers suffering.

Huge queues are stretching back at the Dartford Crossing where the M20 and M25 meets the A282.

Congestion is tailing back almost six miles from the Dartford Tunnel to junction three at Swanley, while several other areas of the motorway network are slow-moving.

Charlotte Woollven, who is stuck in the gridlock, said on X: ‘Traffic crawling for miles on the approach to the Dartford Crossing. I guess this is just the norm now?’

Motorists across the UK have been warned they will face severe congestion on major roads with traffic jams highly likely.

The M5 near Bristol is also experiencing delays of up to 50 minutes for those heading south-west.

Chaos on the roads will only be further impacted by the grim weather, with a Met Office warning for rain in place across parts of the country today.


Petrol station on one of UK’s busiest holiday roads is also one of the cheapest places to fill up

*EMBARGOED UNTIL 16.00 BST, WED AUG 14 (11.00 ET)* FILE PHOTO - view of Stonehenge showing the position of the buried 'Altar stone'. Photo released August 14 2024. Stonehenge???s iconic Altar Stone came from SCOTLAND - not Wales as previously thought, according to a new study. It may have been transported around the coast by sea - implying that long-distance trade networks existed during the Neolithic period in Britain around 5,000 years ago, say scientists. Previous geological research suggested that the six-tonne slab probably originated from the Brecon Beacons in south east Wales. But the new study, led by Australian scientists, concluded that the monumental Altar Stone actually hails over 460 miles from Salisbury Plain in north east Scotland.
A petrol station at the Solstice service area near Stonehenge is selling petrol for 40p less than at most motorway service stations (Picture: Oli Scarff/SWNS)

AA’s study also found that a petrol station on one of the UK’s busiest holiday roads – the A303 near Stonehenge – will be offering fuel for less than 140p a litre – the first time that this has happened this summer.

Data supplied to the Competition and Markets Authority shows that petrol at the Solstice service area is selling petrol for 40p less than at most motorway service stations at 138.7p per litre.

Between July 16 and August 19, the average UK pump prices have fallen from 145p and 150p for a litre of petrol and diesel respectively to 142p and 147p respectively.

Three-quarters of drivers expected to travel under 50 miles this bank holiday

Many drivers are expected to remain close to home this bank holiday weekend, avoiding the usually busy traffic.

A new survey of 11,235 people conducted by the AA found that while over 14 million drivers were expected to be travelling on the busiest day of the long weekend – yesterday – three-quarters of those heading out on the roads will be travelling under 50 miles, with only just over 10 per cent expected to get behind the wheel for up to 100 miles.

The quietest day, meanwhile, is predicted to be tomorrow, though still over a third of drivers will be out on the roads.

However, a third of drivers don’t expect to travel on any of the days across the bank holiday weekend.

Of those that are planning to head out on to the roads, just seven per cent are thinking of travelling to the coast while just under 10 per cent will be enjoying a long weekend away from home.

M25 traffic cameras show congestion at Dartford Tunnel

M25 traffic cameras show the heavy traffic near the Dartford Crossing (Picture: National Highways)
M25 traffic cameras show the heavy traffic near the Dartford Crossing (Picture: National Highways)

These motorway camera images are a tad grainy – but they still show the heavy traffic on the M25 upon the approach to the Dartford Crossing.

Slow-moving on a wet, miserable bank holiday weekend.

As we mentioned, it’s still taking around 40 minutes to travel less than six miles through the Dartford Tunnel.

Widespread congestion on M25

Multiple stretches of the M25 network are being hit by delays this afternoon. Here’s a quick look at the areas affected:

  • A282 Dartford Tunnel northbound – congestion
  • M25 junction 2 anti-clockwise – congestion
  • M25 junction 5 clockwise near M26 – congestion
  • M25 junction 7 anti-clockwise – congestion
  • M25 junction 13 clockwise – broken down vehicle, one lane closed
  • M25 junction 22-23 clockwise – congestion

Heavy M25 traffic ‘crawling for miles’ at Dartford Crossing

It’s taking almost 40 minutes to travel just six miles at the Dartford Crossing (Picture: Google Maps)
It’s taking almost 40 minutes to travel just six miles at the Dartford Crossing (Picture: Google Maps)

Queues are tailing back more than six miles at the Dartford Crossing.

It’s taking around 40 minutes to get through according to Google Maps.

Huge crowds at King’s Cross station in London for bank holiday getaway

?? Licensed to London News Pictures. 24/08/2024. London, UK. Overcrowding at King???s Cross station in central London as August bank holiday getaway continues. According to Network Rail, some journeys will be affected by upgrade and engineering work throughout the late summer bank holiday weekend. Photo credit: Dinendra Haria/LNP
King’s Cross station in London is very busy today (Picture: Dinendra Haria/LNP)

The bank holiday getaway is in full swing today.

This image shows just how busy things are at King’s Cross station in London as passengers look to travel near, far and wide.

Travellers are being disrupted by a planned closure on the Waterloo & City line, a part closure on the Piccadilly line and a number of suspensions on the London Overground.

DLR trains are also operating a reduced service today.

A303 crash causes long delays heading towards south west

Traffic is moving very slowly on the A303 heading south west (Picture: National Highways)
Traffic is moving very slowly on the A303 heading south west (Picture: National Highways)

There are more delays heading south west this morning after a crash on the A303.

According to National Highways, the smash has happened on the westbound carriageway of the major road between the junctions for the A371 and A359.

Delays aren’t expected to clear until around 3pm today.

‘Take extra care if travelling,’ warns Met Office

The Met Office has warned people to ‘take extra care’ if you’re travelling today.

Forecasters have said surface water flooding is possible in some areas as a brutal weather front batters the UK.

Road users in the south east in particular need to be on alert with heavy rain coming down until at least the mid-afternoon.

Cameras show M5 traffic jam near Bristol

Motorway cameras show traffic on the M5 is moving very slowly this morning (Picture: National Highways)
Motorway cameras show traffic on the M5 is moving very slowly this morning (Picture: National Highways)

This is the picture right now on the M5 near Bristol heading towards the south-west.

Devon and Cornwall are two of the most popular destinations for the summer bank holiday weekend and it must feel like most of the country is trying to get there right now.

Motorway cameras between junctions 15 and 16 show just how slow moving things are.

National Highways says there are still delays of 50 minutes and warned disruption is likely to last well into the afternoon until at least 12.45pm.

M5 near Bristol hit by 50-minute delays

National Highways has warned of severe congestion on the M5 near Bristol (Picture: National Highways)
National Highways has warned of severe congestion on the M5 near Bristol (Picture: National Highways)

Traffic experts warned the M5 was likely to be slow-moving this bank holiday weekend – and they’re not wrong.

The major motorway route connecting Birmingham and the south-west is facing long delays this morning.

Drivers are being held up by around 50 minutes near Bristol on a stretch of the road between junctions 15 and 20 heading southbound, according to National Highways.

A spokesperson for traffic specialists Inrix previously advised drivers to avoid travelling between 12pm and 5pm today.

Major engineering work on UK rail lines

Network Rail is carrying out widespread engineering works across the bank holiday weekend.

According to National Rail, the ‘biggest, most disruptive’ work will be as follows:

London Kings Cross: On Sunday, August 25, train services on the East Coast Main Line to and from London Kings Cross will be significantly amended, with replacement buses operating, and some services not running at all. This work will also affect late Saturday night and early Monday morning journeys.

London Euston: For most of the weekend, a reduced and amended service will be operated by the train companies running on the West Coast Main Line to and from London Euston. Longer distance journeys, and local travel plans, may also be affected by work taking place in the Stoke-on-Trent / Macclesfield area.

Will the weather affect your journey today?

The Met Office has warned of difficult driving conditions today (Picture: Getty Images)
The Met Office has warned of difficult driving conditions today (Picture: Getty Images)

It’s a bit of double whammy this weekend with the bank holiday coinciding with the lovely Storm Lilian.

What would already be a chaotic couple of days on the roads has been made just that little bit more difficult by the grim weather.

Parts of London and the south east in particular are bearing the brunt of the rain with a Met Office warning in plance.

Liam Eslick, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘With that yellow warning, expect some small travel disruption.

‘I know it’s the start of the bank holiday so people may be out and about trying to get to their holiday destinations.

‘We do say take care when driving on roads, stick to the main roads where you can because more local tracks could see some surface water.

‘So do take care when travelling around through Saturday morning.’

Met Office warns drivers of ‘very wet’ conditions today

The worst times for traffic jams on August bank holiday weekend

Transport experts say between 10am and 1pm today are the times to avoid on the roads (Picture: Getty Images)
Transport experts say between 10am and 1pm today are the times to avoid on the roads (Picture: Getty Images)

Saturday is set to be as busy as it gets on the roads this August bank holiday weekend.

Transport analytics company Inrix has warned the worst times for traffic jams are likely to be between 10am and 1pm today.

It’s certainly worth checking ahead before you travel to plot out the path of least resistance when it comes to congestion.

The RAC estimates 19.2 million leisure trips by car will be made over the weekend.

That’s the highest since the motoring services company began recording data for the summer bank holiday in 2015.


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