M5 Closed After Tanker Crash Between J22 and J23

The m5 closed southbound between junction 22 and junction 23 in Somerset after a fuel tanker jackknifed and spilled diesel about 04:30 BST. Avon and Somerset Police said no-one is believed to have been seriously injured.

National Highways said delays reached about two-and-a-half hours. It was not expecting the lanes to reopen until about 14:00, while clean-up work continued on the carriageway.

Burnham-on-Sea and Bridgwater

The closure affected the section between junction 22 for Burnham-on-Sea and junction 23 for Bridgwater. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said there were no casualties and that fuel spillage from the tanker was being cleared up.

The crash involved a car and the tanker, and the vehicle then jackknifed, leaving the southbound carriageway shut while crews dealt with the diesel on the road. For drivers already on that stretch, the practical issue was not the crash itself but the length of the closure and the timing of the reopening.

National Highways on the lanes

National Highways said the lanes were not expected to reopen until about 14:00. That left the affected stretch closed for most of the morning, with the clean-up still under way after the tanker’s fuel spillage.

For anyone heading south through Somerset, the route remained blocked between the two junctions until the road could be made safe again.