M4 diversion route after motorway closed in Wiltshire
The motorway was shut by traffic officers between junction 18 at Bath and junction 17 at Chippenham after the large vehicle caught alight, at around 2.15pm on Saturday, July 20. At the time of writing, the carriageway remains closed westbound heading from Chippenham to Bath with police and fire crews at the scene. The eastbound carriageway was reopened shortly after 3.30pm but there remains long delays.
The AA has reported that smoke has been seen blowing across both carriageways while emergency services work to deal with the situation. In the meantime, National Highways has issued diversion routes for motorists travelling in both directions. There remains severe congestion at both junctions as three lanes of traffic try to exit the motorway at once, and people are warned to reroute or delay their journeys to avoid delays.
