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M5 traffic: live news updates

Live traffic updates for the M5 and M5 junctions, plus real-time reports on travel accidents, roadworks, snow and other delays

M6 motorway traffic lights

The M5 is the primary motorway linking the Midlands to the West Country. On its route south-west, the M5 passes Bromwich, Birmingham and then through the Sandwell Valley. Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa, Worcester, Bristol and Taunton are all on its 163-mile route, before it finally finishes up at Exeter.

For the majority of the time it is a standard three-lane motorway, but because it reduces to just two lanes in places it can be prone to congestion and other traffic issues. While it is not typically the busiest part of the UK road network, Friday afternoons, summer holidays and bank holidays can be particularly hectic times to hop on the M5.

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Smart motorways explained

Here you’ll find live updates on the latest traffic news for the M5 motorway including a Twitter feed from the Highways Agency and others, an interactive map showing the current traffic problems caused by road works or accidents and weather news. It’s the perfect place to check before you start your journey.

M5 traffic news: live twitter feed

Scroll down to find live tweets from the Highways Agency, official police accounts and other traffic news feeds.

M5 live traffic map

You would be pretty unlucky to get caught in major traffic jams on the M5 but just in case there is some disruption, you can keep up to date on any delays with our live and continuously updated M5 traffic map. 

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Best sat-navs to buy 2020

The map below shows live updates on the current disrupted areas of the M5 for roadworks, accidents or general congestion causing delays on the route…

The history of the M5 

The first 26 miles of the M5 motorway opened in 1962 and stretched from junction four at Lydiate Ash to the trumpet junction at Tewkesbury where it joins the M50. Despite Worcestershire County Council, the local police force and the County Surveyor of Worcestershire pushing for a three-lane route, the Ministry of Transport insisted that a two-lane motorway was to be built. Consequently, when the decision was made to widen the Worcester section of the M5 it cost £123 million to make the alteration.

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• Latest live A1 traffic news

From 1967 to 1970, the M5 was extended north of junction four, along with the addition of Frankely services. Much of the construction was built as an elevated three-lane motorway using concrete pillars as support. The M5 was also extended southwards, from 1967 to 1977, through Somerset and down to Exeter, using a three-lane motorway layout once again.

M5 junctions

Below are details of all the M5 junctions on northbound and southbound carriageways...

North-east bound M5 exits (B carriageway)

 

Junction

 

South-west bound M5 exits (A carriageway)

 

The North West, Wolverhampton, Birmingham (North & East), Walsall M6

 

M6, J8

 

Start of motorway

 

West Bromwich, Birmingham (North West) A41

 

J1

 

West Bromwich, Birmingham (North West) A41

 

Dudley, Wolverhampton,

Birmingham (West) A4123

 

J2

 

Dudley, Wolverhampton, Birmingham (West) A4123

 

Birmingham (South West & Central) A456

 

J3

 

Kidderminster A456

 

Frankley Services

 

Services

 

Frankley Services

 

Birmingham (South) A38

Stourbridge A491

 

J4

 

Bromsgrove A38

Stourbridge A491

 

NEC, Airport, M42, London (M40), The North East (M1)

 

J4A

 

Birmingham (South & East), Redditch M42, London (M40)

 

Droitwich, Bromsgrove A38

 

J5

 

Droitwich A38

 

Worcester (North), Kidderminster A449

 

J6

 

Worcester (North) A449, Evesham A4538

 

Worcester (South), Evesham A44

 

J7

 

Worcester (South) A44

 

Strensham services

 

Services

 

Strensham services

 

South Wales, Ross-on-Wye M50

 

J8

 

South Wales, Ross-on-Wye M50

 

Tewkesbury A438 Evesham A46

 

J9

 

Tewkesbury A438 Evesham A46

 

No access

 

J10

 

Cheltenham A4019

 

Cheltenham, Gloucester A40

 

J11

 

Cheltenham, Gloucester, Staverton Airport A40

 

Gloucester, Cirencester A417

 

J11A

 

London, Cirencester A417

 

Gloucester Services

 

Services

 

Gloucester Services

 

Gloucester (A38)

 

J12

 

Gloucester (A38)

 

Stroud A419

 

J13

 

Stroud, Dursley A419

 

Michaelwood services

 

Services

 

Michaelwood services

 

Dursley B4509

 

J14

 

Thornbury B4509

 

South Wales, London M4

 

J15

 

London, South Wales M4 (M48), Bristol (M32)

 

Thornbury, Filton A38

 

J16

 

Thornbury, Filton A38

 

Bristol (West), Cribbs Causeway A4018 B4055

 

J17

 

Bristol (West), Cribbs Causeway A4018

 

South Wales, Cardiff, Newport M49 (M4(W))

 

J18A

 

No access

 

Bristol A4

Avonmouth, Docks (A403)

 

J18

 

Avonmouth, Bristol (West), Airport A4

 

Portishead, Royal Portbury Dock, Clifton (Toll) A369

Gordano Services

 

J19

Services

 

Portishead, Royal Portbury Dock A369

Gordano services

 

Nailsea, Clevedon B3133

 

J20

 

Clevedon, Nailsea B3133

 

Weston-super-Mare, Bristol (South) A370

 

J21

 

Weston-super-Mare A370

 

Sedgemoor services

 

Services

 

Sedgemoor services

 

Burnham-on-Sea, Bristol (South), Airport A38

Weston-S-Mare (A370)

 

J22

 

Highbridge, Burnham-on-Sea A38

 

Highbridge A38

Glastonbury, Wells A39

 

J23

 

Glastonbury, Wells A39

Bridgwater A38

 

Bridgwater, Minehead A38

Bridgwater services

 

J24

Services

 

Minehead, A38 (A39)

Bridgwater services

 

Taunton, Yeovil A358

 

J25

 

Honiton, Yeovil, Weymouth A358, Taunton (A38)

 

Taunton Deane services

 

Services

 

Taunton Deane services

 

Wellington, Taunton A38

 

J26

 

Wellington A38

 

Barnstaple, Tiverton A361, Wellington A38

 

J27

 

Barnstaple, Tiverton A361, Willand (B3181)

 

Cullompton B3181

Cullompton services

 

J28

Services

 

Cullompton B3181, Honiton A373

 

Honiton A30

Exeter International Airport

 

J29

 

Honiton A30 (East)

Exeter International Airport

 

Exeter A379, Exmouth A376

Sidmouth (A3052), Exeter services

 

J30

Services

 

Exeter, Dawlish A379

Sidmouth, Exmouth A376

Exeter services

 

Start of motorway

 

J31

 

Bodmin, Okehampton A30

 

Bodmin, Okehampton A30

Non-motorway traffic

 

Road becomes A38 to Plymouth and Torquay (A380)

 

Going even further than the top of the M5? Then you best check our live updates page for the M6.

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