Live M26 traffic updates as emergency services attend serious crash – recap

The M26 westbound was closed for nine hours due to a serious crash on Wednesday morning (14 February). It was shut from the M20 J3 to M25 J5. It is thought that a lorry and a van were involved in a collision.

The road was closed heading towards the M25, leading to queueing traffic. National Highways wrote: "The M26 is closed westbound between J3 and M25/A21 following a very serious collision involving a van and lorry. All emergency services are in attendance. Traffic is being diverted via the M20."

A Kent Police spokesperson said: "Kent Police is currently at the scene of the serious collision on the M26 london-bound. Officers were called at 7.07am to reports of a collision involving a van and a lorry. The road is currently closed while they investigate what happened."

The motorway reopened at just after 4pm, with residual delays cleared by 4.445pm.

Follow our live blog below for more on this story as it happened