Two separate crashes involving a car and a van closed the southbound M11 between junctions 7 and 6 in the early hours of 21 February 2026, causing tailbacks of up to 30 minutes for passengers heading to London Stansted Airport. The northbound carriageway was also shut briefly while engineers assessed central-reservation damage.
Emergency services reported that one vehicle struck the barrier and overturned, spilling debris across two lanes. National Highways kept the southbound closure in place until late morning for clean-up and barrier repairs, advising drivers to divert via the A10 or A12.
![M11 crash near Stansted closes motorway and snarls airport traffic]()
Passengers revising their plans as a result of the motorway closure may also want to confirm that their passports and any required visas are still valid for delayed or rerouted journeys. VisaHQ’s user-friendly portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) lets UK travellers check entry requirements and submit visa applications for hundreds of destinations in minutes, streamlining an often time-critical task during unexpected travel disruptions.
Stansted’s landside operations remained open, but several morning flights departed with light loads after passengers missed bag-drop cut-offs. Airlines waived re-booking fees for affected travellers but warned that same-day seat availability was limited due to school-holiday demand.
The incident is a reminder that surface-access disruptions can have cascading effects on flight punctuality. Employers should encourage travellers to build extra travel time into road transfers to UK airports and consider pre-booking rail alternatives such as the Stansted Express where feasible.
Emergency services reported that one vehicle struck the barrier and overturned, spilling debris across two lanes. National Highways kept the southbound closure in place until late morning for clean-up and barrier repairs, advising drivers to divert via the A10 or A12.
Passengers revising their plans as a result of the motorway closure may also want to confirm that their passports and any required visas are still valid for delayed or rerouted journeys. VisaHQ’s user-friendly portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) lets UK travellers check entry requirements and submit visa applications for hundreds of destinations in minutes, streamlining an often time-critical task during unexpected travel disruptions.
Stansted’s landside operations remained open, but several morning flights departed with light loads after passengers missed bag-drop cut-offs. Airlines waived re-booking fees for affected travellers but warned that same-day seat availability was limited due to school-holiday demand.
The incident is a reminder that surface-access disruptions can have cascading effects on flight punctuality. Employers should encourage travellers to build extra travel time into road transfers to UK airports and consider pre-booking rail alternatives such as the Stansted Express where feasible.
