Motorists travelling on the M5 faced significant disruption this evening after a lorry caught fire, leading to the closure of the motorway between Gloucester and Cheltenham.
At 6.21pm, traffic and travel website Inrix reported that the M5 was closed in both directions from junction 10 (A4019, Cheltenham) to junction 11 (A40, Gloucester/Golden Valley Bypass) due to a vehicle fire. The blaze involved a lorry transporting wood chippings, causing smoke to blow across the carriageway. Long delays were recorded, with congestion extending northbound to junction 11A (Gloucester/Cirencester) and southbound to junction 9 (Tewkesbury).
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Police confirmed that emergency services were alerted shortly after 5.35pm about the fire near junction 10. Both northbound and southbound carriageways were closed between junctions 9 and 11 as Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service worked to extinguish the fire.
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“The closure is expected to remain in place for several hours,” the spokesperson added, urging drivers to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.
An eyewitness caught in the resulting traffic jam told Gloucestershire Live they witnessed numerous people exiting their vehicles on the motorway, as well as fire engines rushing to the scene.
National Highways South West later posted on social media shortly after 7pm: “Traffic is stopped at junction 10 southbound whilst fire crews tackle the blaze. There are delays in excess of 45 minutes on approach, with three miles of congestion.”