Essex Police closed the Queen Elizabeth II bridge at the Dartford Crossing on Wednesday afternoon due to welfare concerns for a man, leading to severe traffic congestion on the M25.
The southbound bridge, which connects junction 31 at Lakeside/Purfleet with junction 1A at Dartford, Kent, was shut down as emergency services responded to the incident.
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National Highways confirmed that motorists face delays of up to 90 minutes traveling clockwise and 30 minutes anticlockwise.
Traffic queues stretched as far as eight miles.
Diversion and Tunnel Restrictions
Officials implemented a diversion through the Dartford Tunnels starting at approximately 11 a. m.
However, severe congestion is expected to impact the evening rush hour.
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Northbound traffic is currently restricted to the west bore Dartford tunnel because the east bore tunnel is also closed.
Vehicles exceeding 4.8 meters in height must find an alternative route via the clockwise M25 due to height restrictions in the remaining open tunnel.
Emergency crews have started turning trapped vehicles around from the back of the queue within the closed section of the highway.
National Highways reported that the A282 south remains blocked between J31 and J1A.
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The agency stated that due to the specific nature of the ongoing emergency on the bridge, there is currently no estimated time for when the lanes will reopen.
