Dartford Crossing was forced to close to traffic at Christmas after fears a tanker could explode.
Drivers on the M25 were caught off guard after the River Thames crossing – the UK’s busiest bridge – suddenly closed last night.
The emergency services rushed to the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge scene after a fire broke out on a ship underneath the huge structure.
A blaze had started on the tanker and an exclusion zone was set up due to a ‘risk of explosion,’ KentLive reports.
Christmas traffic came to a halt on the southbound bridge which connects the M25 through the A282 between Kent and Essex.
National Highways said the bridge was shut ‘due to a tanker fire in close proximity.’
The river banks have several industrial mooring sites and industrial shipping terminals across Dartford and Purfleet.
The road was closed for hours from around 11.30pm until 2am before the area was safe.
Drivers were urged to use alternative routes during the closure before National Highways reopened all lanes.
A spokesperson for National Highways confirmed the incident had cleared and the A282 southbound has ‘fully reopened.’
If the incident had happened during rush hour traffic, drivers in the area could have faced hours of misery.
The crossing – which drivers pay the Dart Charge for to use – sees an average of 150,000 vehicles a day.
However, some drivers were left in limbo after they were slapped with Dart Charge fines despite not using the crossing.
One woman was mistakenly charged 34 times for crossings she did not make.
The Dartford Crossing consists of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and the Dartford Tunnel.
The bridge takes drivers southbound only, while travel northbound goes through the tunnel.
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