Multiple incidents cause major M25 and M1 disruption in Hertfordshire

Summarised from 3 outlets · 10 reports · Updated 16 Oct, 13:58 · Archive

Several incidents on Hertfordshire motorways caused closures and severe delays on 16 October.

Multiple incidents disrupted traffic on Hertfordshire motorways on 16 October. Herts Police were called to the M25 between junctions 21a and 22 near Watford at around 2.15am after a woman was spotted on a bridge over the motorway. Concerns for her welfare led to a closure in both directions whilst emergency services responded.

The closure lasted more than three hours before the woman could be brought to safety. The motorway reopened at around 5.30am. Traffic that had been trapped within the closed area was turned around at the rear of the queue. After the road reopened, delays of around 30 minutes remained, and traffic was briefly held on adjacent sections between junctions 20 to 21a and junctions 23 to 22 to assist with removing the closures.

Later the same day, a multi-vehicle crash on the M25 closed the road clockwise between junctions 23 and 24, near the A1(M). One lane was closed and severe delays were reported on that stretch.

Separately, the M1 between junctions 8 (Hemel Hempstead) and 9 (Dunstable) was closed in both directions following a police incident. Officers responded to reports of a concern for welfare at around 10.20am. Congestion stretched back as far as junction 6, with delays of up to 90 minutes reported.

Herts Police confirmed the M1 incident had been 'safely resolved' and the road reopened, though residual delays were expected to remain. Drivers trapped in the closed areas described large numbers of people standing on the carriageway whilst waiting for emergency services to resolve the incidents.

How it is being reported

• 'Expect delays' after crash closes M25 in Hertfordshire - LiveMotorists are warned to "expect delays" after a crash on the M25 in Hertfordshire near the A1(M).The Comet · 16 Oct, 13:23
• 'Expect delays' after crash closes M25 in Hertfordshire - LiveMotorists are warned to "expect delays" after a crash on the M25 in Hertfordshire near the A1(M).Herts Advertiser · 16 Oct, 13:23
• 'Expect delays' after crash closes Herts M25 - LiveMotorists are warned to "expect delays" after a crash on the M25 in Hertfordshire near the A1(M).Herts Advertiser · 16 Oct, 13:23
• Update after police incident stops traffic in both directions on Herts M1Herts police have shared an update after the force closed the M1 between J8 (Hemel Hempstead) and J9 (Dunstable).Herts Advertiser · 16 Oct, 12:42
• 'Multi-vehicle' crash causing Hertfordshire M25 delays - liveA multi-vehicle crash on the M25 in Hertfordshire has stopped traffic between junction 23 and 24 clockwiseWatford Observer · 16 Oct, 12:39
• Police-led incident 'stops' traffic in both directions on Herts M1 - SummaryA police-led incident has "stopped" traffic in both directions on the M1 between between J8 (Hemel Hempstead) and J9 (Dunstable).Herts Advertiser · 16 Oct, 11:48
• Police-led incident 'stops' traffic in both directions on Herts M1 - Live updatesA police-led incident has "stopped" traffic in both directions on the M1 between between J8 (Hemel Hempstead) and J9 (Dunstable).Herts Advertiser · 16 Oct, 11:48
• Traffic stopped on Hertfordshire M1 due to 'police incident' - live updatesTraffic has been stopped in both directions on the M1 in Hertfordshire due to a "police incident" between junction between junction 8 for the A414 Hemel Hempstead and junction 9 for the A5183 RedbournWatford Observer · 16 Oct, 11:33
• Police confirm 'incident' which closed Hertfordshire M25 for three hours this morningA woman being spotted on a bridge over the M25 in Hertfordshire forced the motorway’s closure for hours this morning.Watford Observer · 16 Oct, 09:32
• Hertfordshire M25 shut for hours amid 'police incident' - what we know so farDrivers were trapped on the M25 motorway near Watford in Hertfordshire for hours as a “police incident” shut the motorway.Watford Observer · 16 Oct, 07:30

In this story: Hertfordshire · M25 · M1 · Watford · Herts Police

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