A significant collision occurred on a major motorway in the UK, leading to the complete closure of the roadway in both directions overnight while an air ambulance responded to the incident. The M27 was blocked in both directions between Southampton and Portsmouth, with emergency services from Hampshire on site between junctions 11 and 12 early on Tuesday, January 6.
Following the incident, the motorway has now been reopened to traffic. All lanes on the M27 are now accessible in both directions according to National Highways. Previously, the road had been shut down between Southampton’s junction 11 and Portsmouth’s junction 12.
While the westbound carriageway has been fully reopened, the eastbound side remains partially closed. National Highways mentioned that two lanes on the eastbound side are currently shut as the police complete their investigations. The spokesperson for National Highways stated that the eastbound carriageway will be fully reopened once the police activities are concluded.
As of now, two lanes on the eastbound side between junctions 11 and 12 remain closed, with one lane open to traffic. National Highways expects normal traffic conditions to resume between 5:45 am and 6:00 am on January 6, 2026, with congestion clearing by 6:30 am.
While westbound traffic seems to have been given the go-ahead, as the closure no longer appears on the National Highways website, the verification is pending due to offline traffic cameras and CCTV in the zone, managed by emergency teams. National Highways notified about the closure just before 3 am, prompting an alert to motorists in the South East.
The situation is still developing, and traffic is anticipated to normalize by 5 am, as per data from National Highways. However, the estimated restoration times are subject to change pending the ongoing incident. National Highways has confirmed the implementation of diversion routes, although specific details about these diversions remain unclear.
The closure of the M27 in both directions between junctions 11 and 12 was necessitated by a severe accident, confirmed by National Highways, attributing it to an ongoing emergency response by Hampshire services. First responders are currently present at the site, with an air ambulance en route.
