A crash involving a van has led to severe traffic delays on the M25 clockwise in Surrey, just as millions are expected to travel for the early May bank holiday weekend. Motorists are currently held between junction J10 (Guildford) and J11 (Woking), resulting in significant congestion.
Queues have stretched for six miles, causing delays of around 45 minutes. On the anticlockwise carriageway, traffic is also heavily impacted, with queues extending back towards Heathrow Airport and junction J13.
The early May bank holiday is projected to be the busiest on roads in a decade, with around 19 million trips forecasted over the weekend. Today alone, dubbed ‘Frantic Friday’, approximately 3.7 million people are expected to hit the roads.
Saturday is anticipated to be the peak day, with an estimated 4 million trips occurring. Despite high fuel prices—averaging £86 to fill up a family car with unleaded—motorists continue to take to the roads.
Key statistics:
- 6 miles of congestion reported
- Delays reaching up to 45 minutes
- 19 million trips expected over the entire weekend
- 3.7 million drivers on the roads today
- 4 million trips anticipated on Saturday
National Highways reported that Surrey Police are on scene managing the situation. They indicated, “There are currently delays of 45 minutes and 6 miles of congestion on the approach.” Additionally, Sean Kimberlin from RAC stated, “Even though fuel prices are uncomfortably high it clearly takes a lot to stop drivers taking to the roads to make the most of a bank holiday weekend.”
