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3d ago

M4 Westbound Remains Closed After Berkshire Lorry Fire as Major Routes Reopen

Diversions via the Hollow Square route will stay in force until about 5:30pm as fire crews clear the M4 westbound, with other major routes already reopened after recent mid-July crashes.

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Overview

  • The M4 westbound is shut between junctions 12 (Reading) and 13 (Newbury) after a lorry carrying batteries caught fire, sending thick smoke across the carriageway and drawing multiple fire crews.
  • National Highways has urged drivers to follow Hollow Square diversion signs via the A4, A339 and A34, warning of significant delays until smoke clearance and barrier repairs are complete.
  • The A1(M) northbound at Newton Aycliffe and the M6 southbound near Lancaster have reopened following weekend multi-vehicle collisions that had closed those routes.
  • Lancashire Police confirmed that eight of the nine people injured in the M6 crash remain in hospital, five with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, including a one-year-old and a six-year-old.
  • Emergency services, air ambulances and National Highways Traffic Officers have coordinated scene management, casualty care and rapid barrier repairs across the motorway network.