A serious one-vehicle collision on the M23 near Gatwick Airport has closed the northbound carriageway between junctions 10 and 9, causing five miles of congestion. Emergency services, including Sussex Police, are at the scene. National Highways warns the route may remain shut for hours due to the serious nature of the crash.
Diversions are in place, and drivers are advised to allow extra time or consider alternative routes. The disruption is compounded by a separate collision between a lorry and a car on the A23 Perimeter Road near the airport, worsening traffic in the area.
The incidents come as millions of drivers prepare for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, with the AA estimating 21.7 million journeys planned for Thursday. The RAC predicts this will be the busiest Easter on the roads since 2022. In London, Tube services faced early-morning disruption due to faulty trains and a points failure, affecting the Circle, Hammersmith & City, District, and Piccadilly lines.
Fuel prices remain high, with average diesel at 184.2p per litre and petrol at 153.7p. The RAC Foundation advises drivers heading to continental Europe to refuel in the UK, as petrol prices in France are significantly higher at £1.71 per litre. National Highways has lifted 1,500 miles of roadworks to ease journeys over the Easter period.
