A section of the M25 has fully reopened after being closed for more than 17 hours due to a major lorry fire near Romford. The motorway was shut between Junction 29 (Romford) and Junction 31 (Thurrock) after a heavy goods vehicle burst into flames on the anti-clockwise carriageway at midday on Wednesday.
Eight fire engines from Essex, Kent and London attended the blaze. The lorry was carrying tyres, which ignited and produced large amounts of smoke. Essex Police confirmed no injuries were reported and no arrests made; the suspected cause is a vehicle malfunction.
The clockwise section near the Dartford Crossing reopened at about 2pm on Wednesday, but the anti-clockwise carriageway remained closed overnight for emergency resurfacing. National Highways completed the repairs and reopened the road at 6am on Thursday.
Despite the reopening, congestion persisted during the morning rush hour on the M25 and the nearby A2. Motorists faced further disruption from other closures, including barrier repairs in Kent. Diversions were in place via the A13, A128 and A127.
Social media users expressed frustration, with one driver commenting: 'It feels like most of today was spent on the M25.' The M25 is Britain's busiest motorway, used by approximately 250,000 vehicles daily.
