A serious collision has forced the closure of a major motorway in Kent, triggering severe disruption for thousands of Britons racing home for Christmas. The M2 is shut westbound and is expected to remain closed for several hours after a car overturned in a crash this afternoon.
Emergency Response and Closure Details
Emergency services, including Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and National Highways Traffic Officers, were called to the scene between Junction 5 for Sittingbourne and Junction 4 for Rainham at 12:50pm on Christmas Eve. The incident occurred on the London-bound carriageway near the Medway services.
Authorities have confirmed the closure will be in place for an extended period, with significant queues already building. Drivers are being strongly advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.
Festive Travel Chaos Reaches Peak
This closure comes on what was already predicted to be one of the most challenging travel days of the year. The RAC estimated that 4.2 million leisure trips were planned for today, marking the busiest Christmas Eve on the roads in five years and the highest level since before the pandemic.
Overall, a staggering 37.5 million car journeys were forecast for the week leading up to Christmas Day, from December 17 to 24. This is the highest figure recorded by the RAC since it began collecting this data in 2013 and represents an increase of 8 million trips compared to last year.
Meanwhile, the AA predicted 22.7 million cars would be on the roads today, adding to the congestion. The RAC warned that the most congested times on Christmas Eve would be between 1pm and 7pm, advising drivers to complete journeys before 11am if possible.
Network-Wide Disruption for Road and Rail
The motorway incident is just one part of a wider travel meltdown. Planned road closures are adding to the problems, with the M27 shut in both directions between Junction 9 and Junction 11 from 8pm on Christmas Eve until 4am on January 4.
Rail passengers are also facing significant difficulties. Great Western Railway (GWR) services between Reading and Gatwick Airport are disrupted due to a staff shortage, with problems expected until 5pm. Furthermore, a series of major rail closures over the festive period, including no trains to or from London Waterloo from Christmas Day until December 28, risk pushing more people onto the already congested roads.
Airports are bracing for a record influx, with 42,046 departures scheduled from UK airports between December 19 and January 4. While the busiest day for flights was December 19, Christmas Day itself is seeing a surge in popularity, with departures 10% higher than last year.
With the M2 closure causing immediate local gridlock and the national transport network under immense strain, travellers are facing a notoriously difficult end to their festive journeys.
