M5 Traffic News: Police close J17-J18 after crash, delays hit 45 minutes
m5 traffic news on Wednesday 27 May centered on two separate incidents that slowed southbound traffic near Stroud and between Cribbs Causeway and Avonmouth. Drivers faced queueing traffic after a broken-down crane, while a multi-vehicle crash closed part of the motorway and pushed delays to 45 minutes.
National Highways said the crane caused 45 minute delays and 4 miles of congestion on the approach, with specialist recovery requested. The blockage ran southbound from J13 A419 (Stroud) to J14 B4509 (Thornbury / Falfield), and AA Traffic Maps said one lane was closed because of debris on the road and a stalled crane.
J13 and J14 delays
AA Traffic Maps had first described the broken-down crane as an accident before updating the disruption to a stalled crane on the southbound carriageway. The same stretch left drivers queuing through J13 and J14 while crews worked to clear the lane and remove debris.
The second incident added a wider problem. The M5 was blocked southbound from J17 A4018 (Cribbs Causeway) to J18 M49 (Aztec West) after a multi-vehicle crash, creating a separate closure farther along the route.
Avon and Somerset Police
An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson said the M5 southbound carriageway was closed between junction 17 and junction 18 following the collision on Wednesday 27 May. The spokesperson said emergency services were on the scene and that no one was thought to be seriously hurt.
“Motorists are advised to please be patient as work is underway to clear the carriageway as quickly as possible.”
Onlookers on the opposite side
Traffic was also heavy on the opposite side because of onlookers, adding delay beyond the closed southbound lanes. For drivers in the area, the immediate consequence was a motorway running with two separate trouble spots at the same time: one slowed by a crane and debris, the other shut after a crash.
That left the affected sections moving under recovery and police control rather than normal flow, with congestion measured in miles rather than minutes on the Stroud approach and a full southbound closure between J17 and J18.
