M25 traffic chaos at Lakeside leaves drivers stranded for up to nine hours

A crash near Lakeside Shopping Centre in Grays, Essex, triggered one of the most severe M25 traffic incidents in recent memory. Drivers reported being stranded for up to nine hours on Thursday, with the motorway remaining closed for more than 15 hours while emergency repairs and resurfacing work took place.

What Happened

The disruption began at approximately 05:30 BST when a collision occurred near junction 31 close to Lakeside Shopping Centre. Two lanes of the clockwise M25 and an entry slip road were closed, immediately creating congestion that stretched back to Brentwood—a distance of approximately 10 miles. What initially appeared to be a manageable incident escalated dramatically when an oil spill from the crash site necessitated additional lane closures and emergency resurfacing work spanning about 400 metres of roadway.

National Highways initially estimated the motorway would reopen by 16:30 BST, but complications with the repairs extended the closure significantly. The hot weather conditions—with temperatures reaching 29°C in Grays—slowed the curing process for the new road surface, delaying reopening until approximately 20:40.

Impact on Drivers

A 17-year-old driver on her first motorway journey experienced what should have been a 20-minute trip transform into an eight-hour ordeal. She and her cousin became trapped in gridlock with no water, food, or working mobile phones, unable to contact family members who had no information about their location or expected arrival time. The teenager reported suffering sunburn from prolonged exposure while stationary in the vehicle.

Another motorist, a 29-year-old civil servant, travelled from Lakeside to Colchester—normally a journey of less than one hour—only to arrive home at 23:00 after spending nine hours in traffic. She described the experience as emotionally distressing, particularly as evening approached and she faced the prospect of being stranded overnight in an unfamiliar area without access to water, food, or toilet facilities.

Hundreds of vehicles took refuge in the Thurrock service station car park, becoming temporarily trapped there as well. Passengers included families with young children who had left the shopping centre for short trips, mothers with babies who ran out of milk and supplies, and people who missed flights and scheduled performances. One journalist documented seeing thousands of people in queue situations across the affected areas of Chafford Hundred, Purfleet, and Grays.

Response and Review

National Highways responded to widespread complaints on social media, stating it was "deeply sorry for the severe disruption and distress experienced." The operator acknowledged that its initial traffic estimates had been inconsistent with real-time mapping data, with reports of five miles of queues disputed by multiple drivers. The organisation committed to undertaking a full internal review of how the major incident was managed, including communication strategies and response procedures.