Drivers faced chaos on the M5 in Somerset on Thursday afternoon after a dramatic lorry fire brought traffic to a standstill, creating five-mile queues and delays of up to 90 minutes.
The incident occurred southbound between Junction 23 for Bridgwater and Junction 24 for Huntworth, where a heavy goods vehicle caught fire, prompting a major emergency response.
Emergency services rushed to the scene as thick smoke billowed across the motorway, forcing the closure of two lanes and leaving only lane one passable to traffic. The situation created gridlock for miles in both directions as rubbernecking drivers slowed to observe the scene.
National Highways issued an urgent alert warning motorists of significant delays, stating: "Two lanes (of three) are closed on the M5 southbound between J23 and J24 due to a lorry fire. Emergency services are in attendance. There is approximately 5 miles of congestion on approach, causing delays of 60-90 minutes above usual travel time."
The disruption came at the worst possible time for commuters, with the incident occurring during the busy afternoon travel period. Traffic cameras showed stationary vehicles stretching back toward Weston-super-Mare as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
Travel monitoring service Inrix reported: "Two lanes closed and queueing traffic due to lorry fire on M5 Southbound from J23 A39 (Bridgwater North) to J24 A38 Taunton Road (Bridgwater South). Congestion to J22 (Burnham-on-Sea). Travel time is around 90 minutes."
Motorists were advised to allow extra time for their journeys or consider alternative routes if possible. The incident caused ripple effects across the local road network as drivers sought to avoid the motorway chaos.
As emergency crews worked to clear the scene and recovery operations began, traffic remained severely affected into the evening rush hour, with residual delays expected to continue throughout the night.
