THE end of the bank holiday has been thrown into chaos after carnage unfolded across major UK roads.
A lorry burst into flames, forcing a popular route to shut in both directions while its 50 tonne cargo of bailed straw burned.
A fire on the A14 forced the entire road to closeCambridge Fire and Rescue Service
Meanwhile huge queues have formed on the M63Supplied
The Cambridge Fire and Rescue Service was called to an incident on the A14 at 4.15pm today, as a lorry became “engulfed” in flames near Bar Hill.
Authorities were forced to shut the road in both directions, while fire crews battled to bring the blaze under control.
The force released a statement on social media, in which it urged drivers to steer clear of the popular route.
The statement read: “We are currently responding to a lorry fire on the A14 near Bar Hill.
“Both carriageways, eastbound and westbound are closed while we deal with the incident.
“Please avoid the area for at least the next 4 hours and find alternative routes.”
Five fire engines from Cambridgeshire and one from Suffolk were drafted in to tackle the inferno.
Paul Clarke, the Cambridgeshire service’s station commander, said: “This is an incredibly complex incident involving approximately 50 tonnes of bailed straw completely engulfed in fire on the back of a lorry and trailer.
“We’re very mindful of the impact this is having and are working closely with police and National Highways to resolve this incident as quickly as we can.”
Meanwhile, the M62 ground to a halt just before 3pm this afternoon, after an crash at J23.
The Westbound route was forced to close, causing huge queues to form on the busy road.
Motorists were even seen getting out of their cars, due to the long wait.
Eventually, the route was reopened at 3.45pm after the crashed vehicle was moved onto the hard shoulder.
However, drivers have been warned that the lengthy delays may last until 4.30pm due to the huge backlog of vehicles.
Meanwhile, a young woman died in Bristol after a serious crash on the A403.
The two-vehicle crash involved a motorbike and a car in pilning, South Gloucestershire, at 8pm this morning.
Police have confirmed that, although the driver of the car was unharmed, the biker – a woman in her 20s – passed away from her injuries.
Cops have informed the woman’s next of kin, who are now being supported specialist officers.
The A403 was subsequently closed in both directions and remained closed for several hours, prompting the local authorities to urge drivers to take alternative routes.
Avon and Somerset Police are now appealing to anyone who witnessed the crash, or who has dashcam footage of the incident, to come forward.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “A motorcyclist has died in a road traffic collision in South Gloucestershire.
“Police, fire and ambulance services were called to the A403 Severn Road, near Pilning, after a collision between a car and a motorbike at about 8.30am this morning (Monday 25 August).
“The motorcyclist – a woman in her 20s – sadly died at the scene. Their next of kin has been informed and a specially-trained officer will be providing them with support. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them.”
The spokesperson added: “The car driver was physically unharmed and has been assisting our enquiries.”
The travel chaos continued across the UK, as huge queues built up on the A30 in Exeter.
Major delays have caused carnage on the busy road, while traffic has crawled along the M5 Southbound after an accident between J19 and J20.
The news comes after the Met Office recorded temperatures as high as 29.1C today in parts of Wales today.
London basked in balmy heats of 27C, while sunseekers were spotted at beaches in Brighton, Lyme Regis and Bournemouth.
The high heats made today the warmest bank holiday on record in Wales and Northern Ireland.
However, travel in Wales has also been thrown into chaos as severe delays were reported on both the M4 at Swansea and Newport, as well as the A40 on Carmarthen.
Across the UK, people have been enjoying the bank holiday weatherShutterstock Editorial
Police are also investigating a crash on the A30 near PilningGetty
An air ambulance was even spotted landing at the scene of an accident on the A494, forcing authorities to close the road in both directions at Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd.
Welsh motorists have been warned to expect ongoing delays as emergency services try to reopen the roads and speed up traffic.
Wait times of up to 75 minutes were also reported at border control at the Port of Dover.
Check-in has also been reported by DFDS Live Travel Updates as being 40 minutes, as holidaymakers rush to France to enjoy the end of the summer holidays.
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