M5 closure leads to city gridlock

Drivers using the M5 faced delays of up to five hours when the motorway was closed in both directions earlier.

Both carriageways of the motorway were shut from junction 19 for Portishead to junction 18 - where the M5 meets the M49 - due to an incident which was resolved safely at 17:20 GMT, police said. The road reopened shortly after.

Motorway cameras showed queuing traffic as far as the J17 Cribbs Causeway exit to the north, and almost as far as junction 21 at Weston-super-Mare to the south.

The tailbacks led to traffic gridlock across Bristol as people sought alternative routes.

Avon and Somerset Police said officers were grateful for drivers' patience while the motorway was closed.

"Safety must always be our main priority and it was necessary to close the motorway in both directions for that reason.

"The closures were put in place to divert traffic off the motorway at strategic locations but inevitably that has had a significant impact on travel times, and we understand how frustrating that has been for a large number of people today," a spokesperson said.

The force said it had been unable to share information about how long the closure would last due to the sensitive circumstances of the incident, which made it "impossible to provide an accurate prediction".

"We have taken calls from motorists stuck in traffic and when welfare concerns have been raised we have sought to work with partners to resolve those as best we can," a police spokesperson added.

One driver, who did not want to be named, said he was stuck at the front of the queue for four hours before being turned around by police.

"People were getting out of their cars and walking their dogs," he said.

Highways England said traffic had since returned to normal on the motorway and surrounding roads.

The Clifton area of Bristol continues to be affected by traffic, with First Bus saying its services in the area are at a stand-still.

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