M25 smash sparks traffic mayhem causing chaos for thousands on way to Heathrow

A shock smash on the UK's busiest motorway has caused traffic chaos for people travelling to a major airport this afternoon.

The busy M25 has been ground to a halt this morning following reports of a crash, with National Highways rushing to the scene alongside . The country's largest stretch of motorway has been shuttered between the J29 at Upminster and J30 at Thurrock, with two lanes now unavailable on the route to Stansted Airport. Congestion was expected to remain in the area, with Highways England saying people were waiting up to 10 minutes at the height of the incident.

Essex Police confirmed in a statement this afternoon that no one was injured in the incident, with diversions now in place. The jam comes as people are also limited in using the A3 where it connects to the major traffic artery, with the stretch of motorway closed until Monday.

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Road works in the area, which sees thousands of cars every day, mean drivers are forced to use another diversion between the M25's junction 10 and A3 interchange.

Closures caused another round of traffic chaos ahead of the weekend on Friday, with travellers struggling to traverse the road between Milford and Wisley.

The M25 has been beset by issues between April 11 and today, with multiple incidents logged on the Highways England report page.

The M25 anticlockwise between junctions J13 and J12 and between junctions J2 and J1A are severely congested, with delays set to continue until at least 1pm.

On Friday an accident left the M25 anticlockwise entry slip at junction J13 blocked during rush hour, clearing at around 5.15pm.

While the latest trouble has likely not delighted motorists heading for a flight from Stansted, some people appeared to be happy, at least with the local views.

One social media user and self-confessed "passenger princess" posting on X, formerly , shared a picture of a plane flying over the road, saying it was the "only bit" of the motorway she didn't "mind being stuck in traffic for".

She wrote: "The only bit of the M25 I don't mind being stuck in traffic for. Also better when you're a passenger princess."

National Highways said the crash has been cleared and that traffic in the area is now returning to its normal flow.