M42 Traffic

M42 17:24pm

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Traffic incidents

The following traffic incidents and congestion for M42 have been reported by Highways England, Traffic Scotland, Traffic Wales or Transport for London (TfL) in the last two hours:

HIGHWAYS MANAGEMENT
Location: The M42 southbound exit slip at junction J8 (Birmingham E) .
Lane closures: The hard shoulder and lane 1 are closed.
Reason: Road Management.
Status: Currently Active.
Time to clear: The event is expected to clear between 16:45 and 17:00 on 28 Jan 2026.
Return to normal: Normal traffic conditions are expected between 16:45 and 17:00 on 28 Jan 2026.
Lanes closed: There is one of two lanes closed.
Nearest town: 2.42m from Castle Bromwich. CLEARED @ 15:27
CONGESTION
Location: The M42 northbound entry slip at junction J6 (Birmingham E) .
Reason: Congestion.
Status: Currently Active.
Return to normal: Normal traffic conditions are expected between 17:15 and 17:30 on 28 Jan 2026.
Delay: There are currently delays of 10 minutes against expected traffic.
Nearest town: 3.77m from Solihull.


There are no current incidents in this location.

M42 Roadworks

The following roadworks have been reported by various highways agencies and official transport sources.Click on a roadworks item to view more details on the traffic map.

ROAD WORKS
Location: The M42 southbound between junctions J4 (Shirley)and J3A (M40) .
Reason: Horticultural works are planned.
Status: Pending.
Schedule: From 21:00 on 28 Jan 2026 to 06:00 on 29 Jan 2026.
Lanes Closed: All lanes will be closed.
Nearest town: 2.61m from Solihull.
ROAD WORKS
Location: The M42 southbound at junction J4 (Shirley) .
Lane closures: Lanes 1,2 and 3 will be closed.
Reason: Horticultural works are planned.
Status: Pending.
Schedule: From 21:00 on 28 Jan 2026 to 06:00 on 29 Jan 2026.
Lanes Closed: All lanes will be closed.
Nearest town: 2.38m from Solihull.
ROAD WORKS
Location: The M42 southbound between junctions J5 (Solihull)and J4 (Shirley) .
Lane closures: Lanes 2 and 3 will be closed.
Reason: Horticultural works are planned.
Status: Pending.
Schedule: From 21:00 on 28 Jan 2026 to 06:00 on 29 Jan 2026.
Lanes Closed: There will be two of three lanes closed.
Nearest town: 1.75m from Solihull.

M42

The M42 motorway is a motorway located in the Midlands region of England. It runs between the A42 near Leicester and junction 10a of the M6 near Tamworth, and is 67 miles long. The motorway was constructed over three phases between 1972 and 1992, and is currently managed by Highways England.

The M42 is one of the busiest routes in England, carrying around 200,000 vehicles per day. In 2017, the Highways England Road Safety Foundation stated that the M42 had below-average accident rate for a motorway and that overall, there had been an improvement in safety on the road over the previous four years. The most common collision types on the M42 include 'rear-end shunts', single-vehicle accidents, and failure to observe a road junction.

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LEGAL NOTICE

Please remember that it is against the law to use your mobile phone, tablet or any electronic device without a hands-free kit whilst driving.If you're caught by the police using any device that can send or receive data whilst driving or riding a motorcyle you'll get an automatic fixed penalty notice, 6 points on your licence and a fine of £200.A court could also disqualify you from driving.

Elsewhere on the web:

National Highways TrafficNational Highways England

Official source of traffic updates.

Transport for LondonTransport for London (TFL)

Transport for London's (TfL) portal for transportation in London.

Traffic WalesTraffic Wales

The Welsh government's traffic information service for Wales.

Traffic ScotlandTraffic Scotland

Live traffic conditions and news for Scotland's road network.

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Location: southbound exit slip at junction J8 (Birmingham E) .

Lane Closures : The hard shoulder and lane 1 are closed.

Due to: Road Management.



Time To Clear : The event is expected to clear between 16:45 and 17:00 on 28 January 2026.

Normal traffic conditions are expected between 16:45 and 17:00 on 28 January 2026.

Lanes Closed : There is one of two lanes closed.
Nearest town: 2.42m from Castle Bromwich.

52.51--1.73

Location: northbound entry slip at junction J6 (Birmingham E) .

Due to: Congestion.



Normal traffic conditions are expected between 17:15 and 17:30 on 28 January 2026.

Delay : There are currently delays of 10 minutes against expected traffic.
Nearest town: 3.77m from Solihull.

52.45--1.71

Location: southbound between junctions J4 (Shirley)and J3A (M40) .

Due to: Horticultural works are planned.

Status : Pending.

Schedule : From 21:00 on 28 January 2026 to 06:00 on 29 January 2026.

Lanes Closed : All lanes will be closed.
Nearest town: 2.61m from Solihull.

52.38--1.79

Location: southbound at junction J4 (Shirley) .

Lane Closures : Lanes 1,2 and 3 will be closed.

Due to: Horticultural works are planned.

Status : Pending.

Schedule : From 21:00 on 28 January 2026 to 06:00 on 29 January 2026.

Lanes Closed : All lanes will be closed.
Nearest town: 2.38m from Solihull.

52.38--1.78

Location: southbound between junctions J5 (Solihull)and J4 (Shirley) .

Lane Closures : Lanes 2 and 3 will be closed.

Due to: Horticultural works are planned.

Status : Pending.

Schedule : From 21:00 on 28 January 2026 to 06:00 on 29 January 2026.

Lanes Closed : There will be two of three lanes closed.
Nearest town: 1.75m from Solihull.

52.39--1.77