M5 Somerset reopens after overturned lorry incident

The incident was reported this morning and the northbound carriageway closed between Junction 24 and Junction 23 at Bridgwater early this afternoon.

The motorway closure caused miles of queuing traffic down past Taunton, with delays of over two hours reported by drivers heading northbound.

The M5 northbound reopened at around 2:15pm, with nine miles of congestion reported on the approach at the time.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "At 11.44am we received a report that a lorry had overturned on the northbound carriageway of the M5, near junction 24 (Bridgwater south).

"Officers are in attendance, alongside emergency services colleagues, and they have closed the road between junctions 24 and 23 (Bridgwater north) while they respond and the vehicle is recovered.

"No injuries have been reported."

Traffic was closed on the M5 northbound carriageway for several hours, causing huge delays and significant disruption to the surrounding road network.

The long tailbacks for miles on the northbound carriageway brought congestion all the way down to Taunton and further south. There were also significant delays and slow moving traffic in Bridgwater and North Petherton as traffic left the closed motorway.

The northbound carriageway pictured empty while the road is closed, as southbound traffic is moving but heavy with long queues. (Image: National Highways)

Traffic camera images show an empty northbound lane approaching Junction 23 at Bridgwater north when all traffic was held back, while heavy queues and slow-moving traffic were reported on the southbound carriageway.

Heavy congestion was also reported on the southbound lanes this afternoon, with delays of around 40 minutes and average speeds of as low as 5MPH at some points.

Drivers are advised to expect disruption and delays following the incident and seek alternative routes if necessary.