The M18 closure near Thorne left both directions shut on the morning of the report after a serious collision. National Highways said the road was likely to remain closed all morning, and South Yorkshire Police urged motorists to avoid the area where possible.
Traffic was affected near Doncaster, with closures in place between junctions three and five on the northbound carriageway and between junctions four and five on the southbound carriageway. National Highways reported two miles of congestion and delays of up to 20 minutes.
Thorne section shut
The closed stretch sat near Thorne, where the M18 forms a route that can quickly back traffic up in both directions. On the morning of the report, drivers meeting the closure faced a motorway that was blocked across both carriageways rather than a single lane or one direction.
National Highways warning
National Highways linked the closure to a serious collision earlier in the morning and said the road was likely to stay shut all morning. That left drivers with a clear instruction from South Yorkshire Police to stay away if they could, while those already on the route had to deal with the delays already building on approach.
Doncaster disruption
For drivers near Doncaster, the practical effect was not just the closure itself but the queue it created behind it. Two miles of congestion and delays of up to 20 minutes meant that even nearby journeys could be slowed well beyond the blocked section.
The remaining question for drivers is the same one that matters at the roadside: when the M18 reopens. National Highways did not give a reopening time, and the route remained shut across both directions as the morning went on.
