M42 Traffic

M42 Traffic News

0Accidentsnone in National Highways’ incident data — but the overhead signs show M42 J6-J8 CLOSED — see the signs3Roadworks activelive on the M42 right now — see details16Plannedscheduled on the M42 — see details

Live M42 traffic data from National Highways · updated 05:02 (5:02am) Tue 10 Nov 2026

M42

Latest M42 Traffic News and Updates

This is the complete list of M42 news we are aware of right now, in both directions, from the M5 at Bromsgrove to Junction 11 at Appleby Magna. It is refreshed through the day from National Highways' data. Use the filters to narrow it to incidents, roadworks or signs.

21 matching items - showing 1-10 of 21 total available news items

  • M6 - M42 link road lane closure southbound

    Active nowRoadworksSouthbound
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    04:56 (4:56am)10 Nov 2026reported 5 min ago

    Location
    link road from M6 J4A southbound to M42 J8 southbound
    Direction
    Southbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    05:00 (5am) Mon 2 Nov 2026 → 05:00 (5am) Mon 7 Dec 2026
    ⏳Long-term works - HA planned end: 05:00 (5am) Mon 7 Dec 2026.
  • M6 - M42 link road hardshoulder closure northbound

    Active nowRoadworksNorthbound
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    04:56 (4:56am)10 Nov 2026reported 5 min ago

    Location
    link road from M6 J4A southbound to M42 J8 northbound
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Hard shoulder closed
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    05:00 (5am) Mon 2 Nov 2026 → 05:00 (5am) Mon 7 Dec 2026
    ⏳Long-term works - HA planned end: 05:00 (5am) Mon 7 Dec 2026.
  • Lane 1 closure northbound (closing ERA)

    Active nowRoadworksNorthbound
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    04:56 (4:56am)10 Nov 2026reported 5 min ago

    Location
    M42 northbound between J3A and J4
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Maintenance work
    Schedule
    02:30 (2:30am) Tue 14 July 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Thu 31 Dec 2026
    ⏳Long-term works - HA planned end: 06:00 (6am) Thu 31 Dec 2026.
  • link road from M6 J4A southbound to M42 J8 southbound

    In force now50 mph limitSouthboundLink road at J4A
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    12:33 (12:33pm)2 Nov 2026set 8 days ago⚠ 8 days old✓ Checked by us 05:02 (5:02am)

    WhereM42 southbound, Link road at J4A · on 1 signal
    WhyM6 - M42 link road lane closure southbound
    Also atM42 southbound between J7A and J7
    SinceSet 12:33 (12:33pm) Mon 2 Nov 2026
    We check these speed signals at least every five minutes. A number in a red ring is a mandatory speed limit. Always follow the speed shown on the signs you can see on the road.
  • link road from M6 J4A southbound to M42 J8

    In force now50 mph limitNorthboundLink road at J4A
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    12:33 (12:33pm)2 Nov 2026set 8 days ago⚠ 8 days old✓ Checked by us 05:02 (5:02am)

    WhereM42 northbound, Link road at J4A · on 1 signal
    WhyM6 - M42 link road hardshoulder closure northbound
    Also atlink road from M6 J4A southbound to M42 J8 northbound; link road from M6 J4A southbound to M42 J8 southbound; M42 northbound between J8 and J9; M6 southbound between J5 and J4A
    SinceSet 12:33 (12:33pm) Mon 2 Nov 2026
    We check these speed signals at least every five minutes. A number in a red ring is a mandatory speed limit. Always follow the speed shown on the signs you can see on the road.
  • Lane closures northbound

    PlannedRoadworksNorthbound
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    04:56 (4:56am)10 Nov 2026reported 5 min ago

    Location
    M42 northbound between J5 and J6
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    20:00 (8pm) Mon 9 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 20:00 (8pm) Mon 9 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026 underway until 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026
  • Lane closures northbound

    PlannedRoadworksNorthbound
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    04:56 (4:56am)10 Nov 2026reported 5 min ago

    Location
    M42 northbound between J5 and J6
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    20:00 (8pm) Tue 10 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Wed 11 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 20:00 (8pm) Tue 10 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Wed 11 Nov 2026 starts in about 15 hours · lasts ~10h 00m
  • M42 northbound Jct 7 to M6 northbound link road closure

    PlannedRoadworksNorthbound Road closed
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    04:56 (4:56am)10 Nov 2026reported 5 min ago

    Location
    link road between M42 J7 northbound and M6 J4 northbound
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Carriageway closed
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    21:00 (9pm) Mon 9 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 21:00 (9pm) Mon 9 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026 underway until 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026
  • M42 northbound Jct 7 to M6 northbound link road closure

    PlannedRoadworksNorthbound Road closed
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    04:56 (4:56am)10 Nov 2026reported 5 min ago

    Location
    link road between M42 J7 northbound and M6 J4 northbound
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Carriageway closed
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    21:00 (9pm) Tue 10 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Wed 11 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 21:00 (9pm) Tue 10 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Wed 11 Nov 2026 starts in about 16 hours · lasts ~9h 00m
  • M42 northbound Jct 7 to M6 northbound link road closure

    PlannedRoadworksNorthbound Road closed
    Time now: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 05:02 (5:02am)

    04:56 (4:56am)10 Nov 2026reported 5 min ago

    Location
    link road between M42 J7 northbound and M6 J4 northbound
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Carriageway closed
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    21:00 (9pm) Mon 9 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 21:00 (9pm) Mon 9 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026 underway until 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026
  • Updated 05:02 (5:02am) Tue 10 Nov 2026

    Powered by National Highways’ Transport Data Feeds.

    How to read an M42 news item

    Each card gives the junctions affected, the direction, what has been reported and, where National Highways has supplied one, an expected end time. Where we show a countdown such as "about 40 minutes from now", it is worked out from National Highways’ own stated end time, which is shown alongside it.

    If the list is empty, nothing has been reported that we are aware of. That is an honest statement about the information we hold, not a promise that every lane is moving.

    Why the junction numbers matter on the M42

    The M42 has several lettered junctions, and some of them only work in one direction. Junction 3A is the M40 interchange. Junction 5A, opened in December 2024, links to the A4545 for Birmingham Airport and Birmingham Business Park. Junction 7A is the link to the M6 towards Coventry and the M1. Junctions 7, 8 and 9 are all partly one-way connections to the M6 and the M6 Toll. So "between J7 and J9" can mean quite different things depending on which way you are going — the M42 junction map spells out each one.

    Narrow it down

    Where the M42 meets other roads

    A queue on the M42 often begins on a road that feeds it. If you are coming from the south-west, check M5 traffic. From London and Oxfordshire, check M40 traffic. For the M6 and the M6 Toll north of Coleshill, see M6 traffic, and if you are continuing up the A42 to the East Midlands, see M1 traffic or Traffic News England for the A42 itself.

    M42traffic.co.uk covers the M42 from the M5 at Bromsgrove to the A42 at Appleby Magna, past Solihull, the NEC, Birmingham Airport and Tamworth. It links to the M40, M6 and M5 — sister sites in the same network.