M2 traffic is moving slowly, then not at all, on the coastbound carriageway between J5 and J6 after a six-vehicle collision. Kent Police is leading the response at the scene while the route stays closed and drivers face delays of up to two hours.
Sittingbourne/Stockbury Roundabout to Faversham
The collision happened between J5, Sittingbourne/Stockbury Roundabout, and J6, Faversham. National Highways said traffic was first held after the crash, but the situation changed when several vehicles could not be moved and needed recovery.
That left the coastbound carriageway fully closed. For drivers already on the route, the practical effect is a complete stop on this stretch of the M2 rather than a short hold that could have been cleared quickly.
A249 southbound and M20 coastbound
National Highways is directing traffic away from the closed section via the A249 southbound and M20 coastbound. Those diversions are the only route changes named in the response, so drivers approaching the area need to follow them rather than wait for a return to normal flow at the closure point.
The up-to-two-hour delay estimate gives the clearest picture of the disruption. It suggests the incident is not a brief lane blockage but a recovery-led closure, where the road cannot reopen until the vehicles are removed from the carriageway.
Kent Police response
Kent Police is leading the response at the scene, which places the incident under police control while recovery work is handled. That matters for drivers because the closure is tied not just to the crash itself, but to the need to clear vehicles before traffic can pass again.
For anyone heading coastbound, the immediate choice is simple: avoid the closed stretch and use the signed diversion via the A249 southbound and M20 coastbound. Until the recovery is finished, the road remains closed between J5 and J6, and the delay figure points to a disruption measured in hours rather than minutes.
