A12 closure LIVE: Crash shuts major road linking London and Essex with closure expected through evening

Heavy traffic after the closure of the A12 - (Supplied)

The A12 is completely shut near Chelmsford following a serious collision.

Essex Police said the incident happened on the southbound carriageway at Ingatestone.

The A12 is currently completely closed between junction 15 at Margaretting and junction 12 for Ingatestone and the road will remain closed throughout the evening.

The force said earlier it expected the road to be closed for some time.

Follow the latest updates below...

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A12 closure throughout the evening

Wednesday 19 November 2025 21:17 , Matt Watts

As of 9pm, according to National Highways the The A12 in Essex remained closed in both directions between J12 (Brentwood) and J15 (Margaretting).

National Highways Traffic Officers and service providers are assisting with strategic closures in the area, it said.

Essex Police have confirmed this incident will be protracted and the road will remain closed throughout the evening, National Highways said in their statement.

There are long delays of up to 30 minutes on the approach with approximately 1 mile of congestion.

Updates from National Highways

Wednesday 19 November 2025 16:32 , Tom Place

Here is the latest from the National Highways' live traffic alerts:

The A12 northbound between junctions J11 and J12

Return To Normal : Normal traffic conditions are expected between 16:30 and 16:45 on 19 November 2025

Delay : There are currently delays of 30 minutes against expected traffic

The A12 northbound between junctions J12 and J15

Time To Clear : The event is expected to clear between 18:45 and 19:00 on 19 November 2025

Return To Normal : Normal traffic conditions are expected between 18:45 and 19:00 on 19 November 2025

The A12 southbound between junctions J15 and J12

Time To Clear : The event is expected to clear between 18:45 and 19:00 on 19 November 2025

Return To Normal : Normal traffic conditions are expected between 18:45 and 19:00 on 19 November 2025

A recap

Wednesday 19 November 2025 15:56 , Tom Place

The A12 is currently closed in both directions between J12 and J15 due to an earlier crash.

National Highways Traffic Officers are assisting, while Essex Police have confirmed that the road will remain closed throughout the evening.

There are currently delays of up to 60 minutes, with approximately four miles of congestion back to the M25 J28 roundabout.

Long queues following incident on A12

Wednesday 19 November 2025 15:26 , Tom Place

A130 Northbound- Slow approaching Howe Green (A12) due to A12 CLOSURE (Supplied)

National Highways update

Wednesday 19 November 2025 15:06 , Tom Place

The #A12 remains CLOSED both ways between J12 and J15 due to a @EssexPoliceUK Led Incident.

There are currently delays of 60 mins north and 15 mins south.@EssexPoliceUK are making plans to release traffic caught within the closures.

For more info: https://t.co/rodjhghaIa… pic.twitter.com/5jNXiNNmfI

— National Highways: East (@HighwaysEAST) November 19, 2025

Diversion details

Wednesday 19 November 2025 14:59 , Tom Place

National Highways have released diversion routes for those affected by the incident:

Northbound diversion:

• Exit the A12 northbound at J12 Marylands and take the B1002
• Follow the B1002 towards Margaretting
• At Margaretting, take the 2nd exit onto the A414 and rejoin the A12 northbound at J15

Southbound diversion:

• Exit the A12 southbound at J15 and at the roundabout take the first exit onto the B1002
• Follow the B1002 towards Brentwood
• At Mountnessing Roundabout, take the 3rd exit on to the A12 southbound

A 24/7 contact centre team is also available to provide up to the minute information on 0300 123 5000.

Latest update

Wednesday 19 November 2025 14:56 , Tom Place

The A12 has been closed in both directions between junctions 12 and 15 following a serious crash.

The London bound entry slip road at J15 and J14 and the Northbound Entry slip road at J13 and J14 are both closed, with roads in Margaretting, Ingatestone, Shenfield and Brentwood heavily congested.

The incident occurred between J14 and J13 Roman Road, and is believed to have happened around 12.30pm.

National Highways is currently assisting with emergency traffic management, and a diversion has been published for both Northbound and Southbound traffic

An Essex Police spokesperson said: "We’re on the scene of a serious collision on the London-bound A12 at Ingatestone.

"All emergency services are at the scene.

"There is a full road closure in place between junctions 12 and 15 and we expect that to be in place for some time.

"We will endeavour to provide an update when we practically can."

The A12 is expected to remain closed into the evening.