Motorists faced disruption on the M5 in Gloucestershire this morning (Thursday, September 4) after a crash brought traffic to a standstill as heavy rain lashed the county. The collision happened on the southbound carriageway between junction 13 for Stroud and junction 14 for Thornbury, a busy stretch that often sees congestion during peak hours. Two lanes were forced to close following the incident, and drivers heading out of Gloucestershire towards Bristol reported long tailbacks and delays of around 20 minutes.

Traffic cameras showed congestion stretching along the motorway as emergency services responded to the scene. The incident added to an already difficult rush hour, with wet weather and surface spray making conditions hazardous for drivers. National Highways had previously warned motorists to allow extra time for journeys as unsettled weather coincided with the early commute.

By 7.49am, the traffic monitoring service Inrix confirmed that queues were beginning to ease after the earlier accident, though the impact of the disruption was still felt in parts of the county.

For many commuters, the morning drive was further complicated by delays on local roads.

The A40 heading into Gloucester from Highnam to the Over Roundabout saw queues of up to 15 minutes, while the A417 northbound from Birdlip downhill to the Air Balloon Roundabout added around ten minutes to journeys. 

Elsewhere, traffic built up on the A46 near Ashchurch for Tewkesbury train station, where drivers faced waits of up to 20 minutes. In Cheltenham, Shurdington Road around Moorend Park Road was also heavily congested, adding further frustration for commuters already facing longer travel times.

The disruption was not limited to Gloucestershire. Further south, a separate incident on the M5 in Somerset saw one lane closed on the northbound carriageway between junction 22 for Burnham-on-Sea and junction 21 for Weston-super-Mare due to a vehicle fire.

Although traffic there was reported to be coping reasonably well, the closure added to the sense of a difficult morning on the motorway network.