A collision involving a car and a van brought northbound traffic on the M5 motorway in Gloucestershire to a standstill on Friday afternoon, October 16. The incident occurred between Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, forcing emergency services to rush to the scene and implement urgent lane closures.
According to Gloucestershire Police, emergency crews attended the crash site near Junction 9 at approximately 1:05 p.m. One person was treated at the scene for minor injuries. The accident severely affected the northbound carriageway between Junction 10 for the A4019 at Cheltenham and Junction 9 for the A46 at Tewkesbury.
Traffic Disruption and Long Queues
Traffic monitoring service Inrix reported stationary conditions and long queues as two of the motorway’s three northbound lanes remained closed due to the collision, scattered debris, and a subsequent fluid spill on the road surface.
The knock-on effect caused heavy congestion stretching back toward Junction 11A near Gloucester and further down toward Junction 12 at Quedgeley and Hardwicke. While southbound traffic was eventually released by authorities, northbound vehicles remained held while emergency teams worked to clear the carriageway and manage the spill.
Emergency Services Response
Drivers traveling through the region were strongly advised to seek alternative routes to avoid substantial delays. Gloucestershire Highways took over road closure management once initial emergency response units cleared the immediate danger, allowing recovery operations to proceed.
Motorists are continually reminded by National Highways to maintain safe braking distances and exercise caution when navigating areas affected by unexpected collisions and emergency lane closures.
