Overturned lorry and fuel spill close M25 link road to M4 at Heathrow

A lorry overturned on the link road from the M25 to the M4 near Heathrow on Tuesday 13 October, shutting the road and causing long delays for drivers heading west.

Footage shared with UB1UB2 shows a red transporter lying on its side across the link road from the M25 anticlockwise to the M4 westbound at Junction 15 at around 3.25pm. Fluid can be seen spread across the road surface, and traffic was moving slowly past under the motorway flyovers.

It is understood the exit slip road from the M25 to the M4 westbound was closed so the lorry could be recovered and a significant fuel spill cleared from the road.

Queues back towards Junction 16

The closure caused heavy congestion on the anticlockwise M25. Queues reportedly stretched about five miles back towards Junction 16, the M40 interchange, with delays of up to 45 minutes on the approach.

Recovering an overturned heavy goods vehicle is usually a slow job. Specialist crews often have to right the vehicle or lift it with heavy cranes. Spilled fuel also has to be cleaned up and the road surface checked before the road can safely reopen, and on high-friction or damaged surfaces that can mean resurfacing.

There has been no official statement on what caused the lorry to overturn or whether anyone was hurt. The police have not confirmed any details of the incident.

A busy and sensitive junction

Junction 15 is where the M25 meets the M4, just to the west of Heathrow Airport, on the boundary between Hillingdon and the Colnbrook and Poyle area near Slough. The section between Junctions 15 and 16 is often described as one of the busiest stretches of motorway in the UK. National Highways says around 200,000 vehicles use it every day.

The junction carries traffic to and from Heathrow, the M4 corridor towards Slough, Reading and the west, and central London. Even a short closure there can quickly cause delays on the M25, the M4 and the local roads around the airport, including the A4 Bath Road and roads through Colnbrook and West Drayton.

The stretch has seen several serious incidents in recent months. In the summer a multi-vehicle collision blocked the clockwise M25 between Junction 15 and Junction 16 while vehicles were recovered.

Travel information

National Highways posts live information on closures, diversions and delays on motorways and major A roads through its traffic website and regional travel updates. Drivers are advised to check before they set off, particularly for journeys to Heathrow.

Anyone who saw the incident, or has information about it, can contact the police on 101.