There are delays of between 50 and 70 minutes on the M5 this morning, Wednesday, January 15, following a crash on the northbound carriageway that closed the motorway for an hour at Cribbs Causeway. There was also a fire following the collision which was quickly extinguished by firefighters.

National Highways is reporting miles of stationary and very slow-moving traffic on the northbound carriageway between junction 20 and junction 17. Normal traffic conditions are not expected to return until 9.45am this morning.

Traffic monitoring site Inrix reports: “M5 northbound exit slip road closed severe delays, two lanes closed due to vehicle fire at J17 A4018 (Cribbs Causeway). Congestion to all the way back to J19 (Portishead). Travel time is around 70 minutes.

“The road was blocked for around an hour but it has now been reopened, however two lanes remain closed on the main carriageway and the exit slip road at J17 is also closed.”

The incident was first reported the at 6.20am. Earlier this morning, at about 5.30am, the motorway also saw a crash between two lorries and a car on the southbound carriageway, also at junction 18, which was subsequently cleared. The southbound carriageway is currently flowing freely.

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