The M2 in Kent was closed in both directions after a serious collision at about 21:20 on 27 October, leaving drivers facing a long overnight shutdown on a key route. Kent Police and National Highways Traffic Officers were at the scene while National Highways directed motorists to use different routes.
National Highways said the eastbound carriageway was shut between J3 and J5, while the westbound carriageway was closed between J4 and J5. That left no through movement on the motorway across the affected stretch, and the agency said the road was expected to remain closed for several hours and into daylight hours.
National Highways update on the M2
National Highways issued an update just after 10pm on October 28, setting out the closure after the crash. The update said the serious collision happened at about 21:20 on 27/10, which places the incident late enough for the motorway to be carrying evening traffic when the closure began. For drivers already on the route, the practical consequence was a stop-and-replan decision rather than a short delay.
Motorists were urged to choose a different route this morning after the crash. Westbound drivers were told to follow the Solid Square diversion symbol on road signs, while eastbound drivers were directed to the Solid Circle diversion symbol. Those signs gave the only route guidance in the update, which matters for anyone trying to avoid the closed section and reach Maidstone, Sittingbourne, Gillingham or Chatham through the area.
J3 to J5 closure
The closure covered different parts of the motorway in each direction: J3 to J5 eastbound and J5 to J4 westbound. That meant the same stretch could not be used either way, and the shutdown affected traffic on both sides of the route at once. The closure also showed why the timing mattered: a collision at 21:20 turned into an overnight restriction that was still shaping morning travel the next day.
There was a wrinkle in the update that road users could not ignore. National Highways said there were currently no significant delays on the approach to the closure, even though the motorway was shut in both directions. For anyone nearing the area, that meant the immediate disruption sat at the closure point itself, not yet as a long tailback on every approach.
Kent Police at scene
Kent Police were at the scene because of the serious crash, with National Highways Traffic Officers also assisting with traffic management. Their presence signalled that the closure was being handled as an incident site rather than a routine road restriction, and the instructions to divert suggested the crossing point would stay blocked until the scene was dealt with. A reader heading that way should treat the affected stretch as closed and follow the signed diversion for their direction of travel.
That still leaves the main unanswered point: what caused the serious collision and when the motorway would reopen. For now, the clearest reading is simple — the M2 remained shut across a busy section of Kent, and anyone travelling between J3, J4 and J5 had to route around it rather than wait for a quick clearance.
