All lanes on the A1(M) northbound were closed on July 24 after a collision earlier at around 11am, leaving drivers facing A1 M northbound delays of more than 60 minutes. The closure ran between J46 Wetherby and J47 A59 Knaresborough, with traffic held on the major North Yorkshire route.
Wetherby to Knaresborough
The affected stretch sat between Wetherby and Knaresborough, and National Highways reported approximately 4 miles of congestion on approach. That meant traffic approaching the closure did not simply slow; it stacked up behind the hold, turning a normal northbound run into a long wait for anyone already on the road.
National Highways and the AA
National Highways said the northbound carriageway was being held because of the collision, while the AA described traffic as stationary. The two reports pointed to the same result for drivers: no through movement on the closed section and no practical way to make up time once the queue formed.
For motorists already committed to that route, the clearest response was to stay with updates from National Highways and the AA and expect the delay to continue until the closure was lifted. The facts on July 24 pointed to an active blockage rather than a brief slowdown, with the scale of the queue showing the disruption was already spreading well beyond the immediate collision point.
