Traffic delays on M4 due to fuel spill

Normal traffic conditions expected from 3pm today (Monday) after lorry crash caused fuel spill yesterday

MOTORISTS travelling westbound along the M4 near junction 14 (Hungerford) are currently experiencing delays of around 10 minutes due to an incident yesterday (Sunday), in which a lorry carrying thousands of litres of diesel crashed and spilled fuel.

Police had to close three lanes of the carriageway yesterday following the incident, which occurred at around 9.45am.

This morning (Monday), one lane is closed due to ongoing barrier repairs at the scene.

Normal traffic conditions are expected from 3pm today.

Inspector Paul Beeson from Thames Valley Police said yesterday that the force of the blow from the collision had ruptured the diesel tank on the vehicle, causing fuel to gush out over the road and create a dangerous hazard for drivers.

One pump was sent from Newbury fire station and crews battled for 90 minutes to stem the flow and move the lorry to a position where the reservation could be fixed and the road could be cleaned.