Crash causes major delays on M4 as amber traffic warning for bank holiday getaway issued - live updates

Heavy traffic is building after a crash led to heavy delays on the M4. An amber traffic warning has been issued for this weekend with an estimated 15 million bank holiday leisure trips being planned. Traffic Wales is warning of congestion around Newport and in Carmarthenshire.

An accident is leading to delays on the M4 this lunchtime. Three vehicles were involved and one lane was blocked westbound between Junction 24 Coldra and junction 25A Cwmbran. All lanes were quickly re-opened, but it has lead to delays of up 25 minutes in the area.

There are also delays of around 40 minutes going eastbound between junction 30 Cardiff Gate and junction 26 Malpas.

The AA said it expects 45% of UK drivers to embark on at least one non-commuting journey between Friday and Monday, with families returning from summer holidays before the start of the new school year battling for road space with festivalgoers and day trippers.

Traffic Wales said that the Friday of the same bank holiday last year was the busiest day of the weekend with peak congestion between 10am and 6pm around junction 48 at Hendy, and between 1pm and 5pm around Newport.

Events taking place this weekend include Reading and Leeds Festivals, CarFest South in Hampshire, the closing weekend of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a full programme of football fixtures and an England v South Africa cricket Test match in Manchester. The AA expects leisure traffic to peak on Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

Motorists are being warned to expect delays on major routes. Predicted traffic hotspots include the M4/M5 interchange near Bristol; the M1 between the M25 and Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire; the M6/M42 interchange in Birmingham; and the M62 between Liverpool and Manchester.

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