Closure hits M4 during rush hour (From Harrow Times)

Closure hits M4 during rush hour

12:20pm Monday 30th July 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

A section of a main road route into London had to close on Monday as rush-hour travellers mixed with Olympic traffic on the first working day during the Games.

A serious accident meant the closure of the London-bound section of the M4 between junction 5 at Langley in Berkshire and junction 4b near Heathrow airport in west London. Long queues built up on the motorway which goes into an Olympic traffic-only Games lane nearer London.

There were also jams for drivers at some of the Games lanes sites in London, including the A40 in west London and the Canning Town Flyover in east London. But Tube and main line rail services operated well during the morning peak period.

Transport for London (TfL) advised travellers that London Bridge station would be very busy with spectators travelling to the equestrian cross country event at Greenwich Park in south-east London.

A part of London Bridge was being closed to departing passengers from 6pm to 10pm to minimise congestion. Those affected include passengers travelling on the Kent-bound services run by the First Capital Connect and Southeastern train companies.

TfL said Olympic events meant the Docklands Light Railway would be particularly busy as would Canary Wharf and Bank Tube stations.

The closed section of the M4 was reopened later in the morning, but there were delays of up to an hour for London-bound drivers.

There were also hold-ups westbound on the M4 between Slough Central and Slough West - a stretch of motorway close to Eton Dorney in Berkshire where the Olympic rowing events are taking place.

Also in this area of Berkshire, a lineside equipment problem at Maidenhead led to mid-morning delays to First Great Western rail services between Reading and Maidenhead.

There was also a problem at a major London terminus when a broken-down train caused disruption to Greater Anglia and Stansted Express services in and out of Liverpool Street station.