Transport Minister Justin Madders has promised to question whether emergency services can do more to reduce prolonged motorway closures, after warnings that repeated M5 shutdowns are leaving entire communities gridlocked, says the Exmouth Journal.

Mr Madders made the commitment during a Westminster Hall debate yesterday (10 November), secured by Conservative Bridgwater MP Sir Ashley Fox.

Sir Ashley said the motorway was an indispensable route for communities, tourism and goods throughout the South West, but that closures in Somerset were becoming more frequent and lasting longer.

He told MPs that data from January 2025 to August 2026 recorded 24 full closures between junctions 20 and 25, including four in June 2026 alone.

He also cited figures showing that traffic on the northbound M5 between junctions 23 and 24 had travelled below 30mph for at least an hour on 42 days in 2023, 45 days in 2024 and 47 days in 2025.

Sir Ashley warned that when the M5 is shut between junctions 22 and 24, traffic is diverted onto the A38 through Highbridge, Bridgwater and North Petherton, overwhelming roads which were not built to cope with motorway volumes.

He said:

“What begins as an instance affecting one stretch of motorway rapidly escalates into a problem affecting entire towns and villages. Traffic backs up every minor road, causing gridlock.”

Sir Ashley called for a more locally tailored approach to traffic management and asked whether strategically placed gated crossover points in motorway central reservations could allow controlled contraflow during major incidents, rather than diverting vehicles through towns.

He stressed that public safety must come first and said the proposal would not remove the need for emergency services to respond  appropriately to serious incidents.

Mr Madders said he would write to Sir Ashley about the central-reservation proposal, adding that safety considerations would need to be taken into account.

(Picture: Mapillary)