Severe disruption has hit one of the United Kingdom’s busiest strategic road corridors after a lorry-related incident forced a full-day closure at the Dartford Tunnel, bringing large stretches of the M25 to a standstill and triggering long delays for motorists, freight operators and cross-Channel travellers.

National Highways warned that the closure is expected to last throughout the day while specialist teams deal with the damaged carriageway and manage backed-up traffic around the Thames crossing between Kent and Essex.

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All-Day Closure at Dartford Tunnel Paralyzes Key M25 Section

National Highways said the Dartford Tunnel has been closed in both directions following industrial action involving lorry drivers that escalated into a full blockade of access to the crossing. The stoppage, combined with a related incident involving a heavy goods vehicle on the approaches, has forced authorities to suspend all tunnel traffic and divert vehicles onto already congested local roads.

The Dartford Crossing, made up of the Dartford Tunnel and QEII Bridge, normally carries up to 180,000 vehicles a day on peak days. With the tunnel side of the crossing taken completely out of use, the M25 orbital route around London has seen tailbacks stretching for miles in both directions, particularly on the northern and eastern sections approaching Junctions 30 and 31.

Officials said plans are in place to keep the route shut for the entirety of the day while negotiations continue with striking lorry drivers and engineers assess the condition of the carriageway and surrounding infrastructure. Drivers have been urged to avoid the area entirely, delay nonessential trips or use alternative routes well away from the Dartford corridor.

Freight Lorry Strike Escalates into Complete Crossing Blockade

The closure follows a coordinated walkout by freight lorry drivers serving logistics hubs in the Thames Estuary and along the M25, who chose the Dartford Tunnel as a focal point for industrial action over pay and conditions. Traffic authorities reported that convoys of HGVs assembled near the crossing, limiting access and creating a bottleneck that quickly rendered the route unusable to general traffic.

While the Dartford Crossing has previously been severely disrupted by crashes, fires and hazardous spillages involving lorries, today’s shutdown is distinctive in that it stems from a labour dispute that has effectively turned the tunnel into a pressure point for the national freight network. Previous serious incidents have seen one bore of the tunnel or the bridge remain open to keep some traffic moving, but the nature of the blockade has meant neither bore can safely operate.

Industry representatives say the standoff highlights the vulnerability of the M25’s river crossing infrastructure, which offers limited redundancy. Any prolonged closure quickly cascades across the wider motorway network, particularly affecting long-distance haulage between ports such as Dover, Tilbury and London Gateway and distribution centres throughout the Midlands and North.

Miles of Tailbacks and Gridlock on Both Sides of the Thames

Drivers approaching the Dartford area reported near-stationary traffic for hours on the M25 and the A282 approaches, with delays spilling back to key junctions with the A2, A13 and A20. Previous full closures at the crossing have generated queues of eight miles or more on both sides of the river, and early indications suggest today’s strike-induced stoppage is having a similar impact.

Local roads in Dartford, Thurrock and surrounding communities are also struggling under the weight of diverted long-distance traffic, including HGVs attempting to navigate urban streets not designed for such volumes. Motorists have shared images of logjams at major roundabouts and along key links such as the A206 and A296, with reports of journey times more than doubling for local commuters.

Traffic cameras and live data indicate that the worst congestion is building on the anticlockwise M25 for traffic heading toward the tunnel from Kent, and on the clockwise side for vehicles approaching from Essex. In previous major incidents, delays of 70 to 90 minutes have been recorded on connecting routes, and transport analysts say similar or worse conditions are likely as the day progresses and peak travel periods overlap with the closure.

Travel Chaos for Holidaymakers and Cross-Channel Traffic

The disruption is being felt far beyond the immediate vicinity of the Dartford Tunnel. Holidaymakers driving to and from London’s airports, ferry ports and Eurotunnel terminals are among those hardest hit, with the M25 playing a central role in road access to Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted as well as to Dover and Folkestone.

Tour operators and travel agents are warning of missed check-in times and knock-on effects for package holidays and independent trips that rely on tightly timed road legs between the capital and key departure points. In previous major incidents at Dartford and along the M25, delays of two hours or more have caused passengers to miss sailings at Dover and Calais, putting additional strain on already busy weekend timetables.

Car rental firms and airport transfer companies are adjusting their operations in response to the standstill, advising customers to leave significantly earlier than usual if their route would normally take them past the Dartford crossing. Some firms report rerouting vehicles via the Blackwall Tunnel or across other Thames crossings closer to central London, though these alternatives also risk becoming overwhelmed as drivers seek any available way across the river.

National Highways and Police Coordinate Diversions and Safety Measures

National Highways is working with Kent Police, Essex Police and local councils to manage diversions and maintain safety around the affected sections of the M25 and A282. Electronic signs on approach roads are warning drivers of the closure and advising them to follow official diversion routes or consider entirely different itineraries if travelling long distances.

With the tunnel out of use in both directions, engineers have ruled out the contraflow arrangements sometimes used when only one bore is closed for maintenance or following an accident. Instead, traffic is being directed onto a network of A-roads north and south of the river, creating pinch points at alternative crossings and adding considerable time to journeys.

Emergency services have also deployed additional resources to the area to respond to breakdowns and minor collisions within the queues. During previous major disruptions, stranded vehicles and overheating engines have compounded already severe congestion, and authorities are keen to prevent similar secondary incidents from worsening today’s conditions.

Impact on Logistics, Supply Chains and Time-Sensitive Deliveries

The lorry strike at Dartford is reverberating through supply chains that depend heavily on just-in-time deliveries between ports, warehouses and retailers. Logistics firms say vehicles carrying everything from fresh produce to manufacturing components are stuck in the gridlock, with some operators scrambling to reassign loads or shift collections to depots on the opposite side of the river to avoid the worst of the disruption.

In recent years, serious lorry fires and crashes on the M25 near Dartford have required prolonged closures and resurfacing, but freight operators have generally been able to resume normal operations once emergency work is complete. An all-day industrial blockade, however, introduces uncertainty over when and how normal capacity will return, complicating route planning and delivery commitments.

Analysts note that even once the strike action ends and the tunnel reopens, it may take much of the evening for traffic volumes to normalize as thousands of delayed vehicles clear the area. Some logistics companies are preparing to extend driver shifts within legal limits or to hold vehicles back at depots until conditions improve, in an attempt to avoid having their fleets stuck idling in static queues for hours.

Advice for Motorists and Travellers Caught in the Disruption

Authorities are urging anyone planning to use the M25 in the vicinity of Dartford to check traffic conditions before setting out and to consider whether their journey can be delayed or rerouted. Drivers who must travel between Kent and Essex are being advised to allow substantial extra time and to carry water and essential supplies in case of extended queues.

Travel experts recommend that airport-bound passengers whose usual route would take them through the Dartford Tunnel factor in at least one to two extra hours for their journey, depending on the time of day and their departure terminal. Where possible, rebooking onto later flights, trains or ferries may provide a safety margin while the situation remains fluid.

Motorists already stuck in slow-moving traffic are being reminded to stay in their vehicles unless instructed otherwise by authorities, to keep emergency lanes clear for responders and to avoid making sudden lane changes that could cause minor collisions. Those with satnav systems and traffic apps should monitor live updates, but officials stress that following signed diversion routes is often the safest option during major motorway incidents.

Longer-Term Questions Over Resilience of the Dartford Corridor

The latest all-day shutdown is likely to intensify debate over the long-term resilience of the Dartford Crossing and the M25 more broadly. Previous incidents involving lorry fires, multi-vehicle collisions and hazardous spillages have already underscored how quickly the orbital motorway can grind to a halt when a critical segment is taken out of action.

Transport campaigners and industry groups have repeatedly called for additional river crossings and improved freight corridors to reduce the system’s reliance on a handful of heavily used structures. Today’s strike-related closure provides a fresh example of how industrial disputes, on top of accidents and maintenance issues, can expose the fragility of the route that carries tens of millions of vehicles each year.

For now, the priority for authorities is to restore movement at Dartford and ease the immediate gridlock on the M25. But as travellers, hauliers and local residents grapple with the fallout of another day of severe disruption, pressure is likely to grow for a broader rethink of how the United Kingdom’s most important motorway corridor is managed and safeguarded against future shocks.