National Highways Clears M11 Traffic After Overturned Van Delays

National Highways cleared m11 traffic after a van overturned on May 1, leaving northbound drivers stuck for over three hours between Harlow and Bishop's Stortford. The incident was first reported at 10.48am, and queues tailed back from junction 8 while traffic was held multiple times during clearance work.

Harlow North to Bishop's Stortford

The disruption affected northbound traffic past junction 7a at Harlow North and stretched back from junction 8 at Bishop's Stortford. National Highways held traffic again while crews worked to remove the van from the road, and the exit slip road remained closed during the operation.

Lane one of three stayed closed after the overturning, even as all lanes later reopened. National Highways remained at the scene after the van was removed, with normal traffic not expected until between 1.15pm and 1.30pm.

May 1 clearance work

The first report came at 10.50am, following the initial 10.48am report of the overturned van. That gap left drivers dealing with long queues while the closure and repeated holds pushed delays to more than three hours.

The key practical point for drivers is simple: the affected stretch reopened, but only after repeated holds, a closed exit slip road, and one of three lanes left shut during the clear-up. Anyone heading north through that part of the M11 on May 1 faced the longest disruption before the motorway returned to normal flow later in the afternoon.