Heritage
Leeds Castle
Maidstone, Kent🛣️ M20 junction: J8
✅ No M20 incidents reported within 3 miles
7 miles east of Maidstone; follow brown signs from the A20, not satnav
🚨 Live M20 Incidents & Roadworks
Updates every 5 min🛑 ROAD CLOSED
M20 westbound Jct 6 distributor road closure
Westbound · Closed until 06:00 Tue 20 Oct 10 hours
No live incidents on the M20 right now — checking National Highways every 5 minutes, 24/7. Closures are listed below.
🌙 M20 closures tonight and the next 3 days 2
From National Highways' closure report, in their words. Times can change - check before you set off.
- Partial closureWestbound M20 westbound Jct 6 exit slip road closureNow · until 06:00 Tue 20 Oct
- Full closureWestbound M20 Westbound Jct 3 to Jct 1 carriageway closureTonight · 22:00–05:30Diversion: Diversion via National Highways and Local Authorities Network
Is the M20 closed? Quick answers
Checked 21:32 on Monday 19 October 2026.
Is the M20 closed right now?
Yes. The M20 is closed now for planned work: westbound Jct 6 distributor road closure, until 06:00 Tue 20 Oct.
Is the M20 closed tonight?
Yes. The M20 has 2 full closures planned tonight (Mon 19 Oct, 18:00 to 06:00): westbound Jct 6 distributor road closure, 20:00 to 06:00; and Westbound Jct 3 to Jct 1 carriageway closure, 22:00 to 05:30. Plus 1 lane or slip road closure. Diversion: Diversion via National Highways and Local Authorities Network.
Tonight: M20 closures and diversions ›Is the M20 closed this weekend?
Not published yet. National Highways have not published closures for this weekend (Fri 23 Oct 18:00 to Mon 26 Oct 06:00) yet. They add each week's closures a few days ahead, so check again nearer the time.
This weekend: M20 closures and diversions ›Is there an accident on the M20 today?
No. No collision has been reported on the M20 since midnight.
M20 accidents today and yesterday ›Answers use official data only: the National Highways live incident feed and their planned closure report. Times can change, so check before you set off.
Spotted something on the M20?
Warn other drivers in real time — thousands check these pages every day
💥 Crash⚠️ Hazard⛔ Closure🐌 Queue
🗺️ M20 Traffic Map — Where It's Happening
Tap a pin for full incident detail. Live positions from National Highways.
🔢 M20 Junction Status
Tap a junction for its pageJ1Swanley & Farningham16 crashes
J2Wrotham & Borough Green44 crashes
J3West Malling & Kings Hill38 crashes
J4Maidstone & Aylesford59 crashes
J5Maidstone & Barming45 crashes
J6Maidstone & Penenden Heath62 crashes
J7Maidstone & Detling51 crashes
J9Ashford & Lenham11 crashes
J10Ashford & Willesborough23 crashes
J11Folkestone & Hythe23 crashes
J13Folkestone & Capel-le-Ferne26 crashes
🟢 Clear · 🟡 Delays nearby · 🔴 Severe/Crash · Status labels: 💥 CRASH · ❌ CLOSED · 🐌 SLOW · 🚧 WORKS · ⚠️ HAZARD
A red or orange junction border marks a STATS19 collision blackspot. Tap any junction for its own page — live incidents and full collision history. Tap the funnel to filter the list above.
📊 How busy is the M20?
The M20 carries up to 128,314 vehicles a day at its busiest stretch (J5–J6), including 12,555 HGVs — the 15th busiest motorway in Britain. Official Department for Transport counts, 2025.
128,314
🚗 vehicles a day · J5–J6
12,555
🚛 lorries a day
2025
📅 DfT count year
share of traffic on the busiest stretch
Busiest stretch of each motorway — vehicles a day
M25
212,636
M6
187,521
M56
179,634
M1
162,446
M8
158,065
M4
156,491
M20
128,314
View as table
| Road | Busiest stretch | Vehicles/day | HGVs/day | HGV share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M25 | near J14 | 212,636 | 14,853 | 7% |
| M6 | J20–J21 | 187,521 | 23,492 | 12.5% |
| M56 | J3–J4 | 179,634 | 7,547 | 4.2% |
| M1 | near J9 | 162,446 | 19,151 | 11.8% |
| M8 | J16–J17 | 158,065 | 7,214 | 4.6% |
| M4 | near J4 | 156,491 | 6,249 | 4% |
| M20 ◀ | J5–J6 | 128,314 | 12,555 | 9.8% |
Source: Department for Transport road traffic statistics, average annual daily flows 2025. Official counts, updated yearly.
📈 M20 Journey Pulse — when incidents actually happen
Measured from 73 incidents recorded on the M20 since February 2026: the riskiest window is 06:00–09:00, when 22% of incidents start. Right now (21:00) you're outside the peak window.
00
04
08
12
16
20
📈 Busiest 06:00–09:00
😌 Quietest 23:00–02:00
🕒 Typically clears in ~35 min ⏱ Typical delay ~10 min 📅 Weekdays see ~1.3× the weekend rate
View as table
| Hour | Incidents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00–01:00 | 1 | 1.4% |
| 01:00–02:00 | 0 | 0% |
| 02:00–03:00 | 2 | 2.7% |
| 03:00–04:00 | 3 | 4.1% |
| 04:00–05:00 | 5 | 6.8% |
| 05:00–06:00 | 4 | 5.5% |
| 06:00–07:00 ◀ peak | 4 | 5.5% |
| 07:00–08:00 ◀ peak | 6 | 8.2% |
| 08:00–09:00 ◀ peak | 6 | 8.2% |
| 09:00–10:00 | 2 | 2.7% |
| 10:00–11:00 | 1 | 1.4% |
| 11:00–12:00 | 5 | 6.8% |
| 12:00–13:00 | 2 | 2.7% |
| 13:00–14:00 | 5 | 6.8% |
| 14:00–15:00 | 4 | 5.5% |
| 15:00–16:00 | 3 | 4.1% |
| 16:00–17:00 | 5 | 6.8% |
| 17:00–18:00 | 2 | 2.7% |
| 18:00–19:00 | 4 | 5.5% |
| 19:00–20:00 | 3 | 4.1% |
| 20:00–21:00 | 2 | 2.7% |
| 21:00–22:00 | 2 | 2.7% |
| 22:00–23:00 | 2 | 2.7% |
| 23:00–00:00 | 0 | 0% |
Measured from 73 incidents recorded by this site since February 2026 (planned roadworks excluded). Recomputed nightly from our incident archive.
🧭 Along the M20
📍 Heading to… off the M20
The places people drive to most, the M20 junction for each, and live M20 incidents nearby at 21:32.
Shopping
Ashford Designer Outlet
Ashford, Kent🛣️ M20 junction: J9, J10, J10a
✅ No M20 incidents reported within 3 miles
Over 120 designer brands; just off the M20 at Ashford
Crossing
LeShuttle Folkestone Terminal (Channel Tunnel)
Folkestone (Cheriton), Kent🛣️ M20 junction: J11a
✅ No M20 incidents reported within 2 miles
Channel Tunnel car check-in; leave the M20 at J11a and follow LeShuttle signs
Motorsport
Brands Hatch
West Kingsdown, Kent🛣️ Via the M20
✅ No M20 incidents reported within 3 miles
Hosts BTCC and British Superbikes; on the A20, 3 miles from M25 J3
Ferry port
Port of Dover
Dover, Kent🛣️ Via the M20
✅ No M20 incidents reported within 3 miles
One of the world's busiest passenger ports; lorries queue on the A20 when busy
⚠️ Most Dangerous M20 Junctions
Based on DfT STATS19 police collision records. The M20 has 467 recorded collisions at 14 collision hotspots, involving 703 casualties (11 fatal). Take extra care here. Ranked by fatal, then serious collisions, then casualties - not by the number of collisions alone.
#1
Severe Blackspot
nr Sittingbourne
34 collisions · 54 casualties · 2 fatal · 6 serious
#2
Severe Blackspot
J5
45 collisions · 63 casualties · 2 fatal · 5 serious
#3
Severe Blackspot
J4
59 collisions · 92 casualties · 1 fatal · 11 serious
#4
Severe Blackspot
J2
44 collisions · 68 casualties · 1 fatal · 10 serious
#5
Severe Blackspot
J10
23 collisions · 31 casualties · 1 fatal · 5 serious
#6
Severe Blackspot
J11
23 collisions · 36 casualties · 1 fatal · 4 serious
🛒 Journey Essentials
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❓ M20 Traffic — Frequently Asked Questions
Is the M20 closed today?
Yes — the M20 is closed right now: M20 westbound Jct 6 distributor road closure, until 06:00 Tue 20 Oct.
Is there traffic on the M20 today?
The M20 is closed right now: M20 westbound Jct 6 distributor road closure, until 06:00 Tue 20 Oct. Check the live feed above for every closure on the route.
What is the worst time to use the M20?
The M20 is typically busiest during morning rush hour (06:30–09:00) and evening rush hour (16:30–19:00) on weekdays.
Are there roadworks on the M20 right now?
There are currently 2 active roadwork schemes on the M20. Check the live feed above for exact locations and durations.
What roads connect to the M20?
The M20 connects to: M25, M26, A20, A2070.
Is there an accident on the M20 eastbound or westbound today?
Each side has its own live page: the M20 eastbound (towards Folkestone) and the M20 westbound (towards Swanley) each list every accident, breakdown, closure and roadworks on that carriageway, updated every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day, from National Highways. The panel at the top of this page shows both sides at a glance.
How many vehicles use the M20 every day?
Official Department for Transport counts (2025) record 128,314 vehicles a day on the M20's busiest stretch (J5–J6), 12,555 of them HGVs. The full breakdown and comparison chart are in the traffic statistics section above.
How busy is the M20 compared with other motorways?
The M20 has the 15th busiest motorway stretch in Britain at 128,314 vehicles a day (DfT 2025), behind the M25's 212,636 a day at the top.
What time of day is the M20 worst for incidents?
Measured from 73 incidents recorded on the M20 since February 2026, the riskiest window is 06:00–09:00, when 22% of incidents start. The quietest is 23:00–02:00. Incidents on the M20 typically clear in about 35 minutes.
What junction is the Eurotunnel on the M20?
The Eurotunnel LeShuttle terminal at Folkestone is signed directly from M20 junction 11A. For the Port of Dover, continue to the end of the M20 at junction 13, where the A20 carries on to the port.
📊 M20 Status Summary
0
Active incidents
0
Severe/serious
2
Roadworks
21:32
Last updated
🆘 Broken down on the M20?
One free request reaches local recovery firms
ℹ️ M20 Road Details
- Length
- 55 miles
- Junctions
- J1–J13
- From
- London (M25 J3)
- To
- Folkestone (Channel Tunnel)
- Type
- Motorway
- AM Rush
- 06:30–09:00
- PM Rush
- 16:30–19:00
📍 Key M20 Locations
Swanley
Maidstone
Ashford
Folkestone
🔗 Roads Connecting to the M20
🛣️ M20 Services & Motorway Stops
🔗 Related Tools
📱 Follow M20 Updates
Daily M20 incidents, posted across all four channels.
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