Major Chaos on Smart Motorway as Snow and Ice Bring Traffic to a Standstill Highways chiefs have declared a major incident after thousands of drivers were trapped since 8pm Sunday. Selfish HGV drivers blocked all four lanes of the smart motorway, which has no hard shoulder, leaving gritters stranded in the snow-turned-ice. Police can’t reach key parts of the carriageway to help, as many lorries are stuck or have jack-knifed. Gritting teams have been battling for hours to clear the gridlock.
National Highways Warn of Severe Wintery Delays Across East and South East England
In a statement, National Highways said: “Severe wintery conditions in the East and South East this evening have caused multiple incidents. Several key routes are facing long delays.”
Roads Worst Hit by Snow and Ice
- M2 in Kent, between Junctions 1 and 3 (both directions)
- M20 in Kent, between Junctions 5 and 9 (both directions; traffic running but tough conditions)
- M25 in Essex, between Junctions 26 and 28 (both directions)
- M11 in Essex, between Junctions 4 and 7A northbound
- Additional trouble spots: A21, A27, and A249
Warning: Hazardous weather is expected to last until Monday morning, 12th December. Drivers are urged to take extreme care or avoid travel if possible.
