The M25 has reopened after a 1ft-deep pothole caused three lanes to be closed for most of Friday, resulting in traffic chaos. The motorway was described as the "road to hell" after a section caved in because concrete used in overnight repair work had failed to set. Three anti-clockwise lanes were shut between junctions 9 and 10 in Surrey after the large pothole appeared near Leatherhead following a night of heavy rain. The Highways Agency had planned to reopen the three closed lanes last night but material to fill the pothole had not hardened as expected so the road remained closed until it was deemed safe to carry traffic this morning. Drivers endured long tailbacks and delays while some drivers caught in the hold-ups missed flights at nearby Gatwick Airport. Conditions for drivers were made more difficult by heavy rain and strong winds, which led to flood alerts being put in place across the country, including in the South East. Roads minister John Hayes ordered an urgent inquiry into what caused the tailback - which was at one point reported to have stretched to Staines, some 14 miles away. Images showed drivers pulled up on the hard shoulder after apparently driving through the 16ft long and 11.8ins deep pothole and picking up punctures. Surrey Police tweeted earlier that parts of the road surface had "failed" and warned it would "not be a quick fix". The force posted: "Large number of vehicles have damaged tyres. Setting red x lane 3 and 4- please don't ignore!!" AA boss Edmund King labelled country's busiest motorway as "the road to hell" and demanded a "thorough investigation". He said: "It is disappointing that not only did the road fail but it placed many drivers in danger and also reportedly damaged a number of vehicles. "If this happened on the railways, passengers could claim compensation. As it has happened on the roads, drivers just have to put up with it." m25 road rage stabbing m25 road surface m25 road map m25 road rage killer m25 road buckled m25 road accident m25 road cameras m25 road damage Pothole Causes Huge Tailbacks On M25 M25 Reopens After 1ft-Deep Pothole Chaos Video: M25 Chaos: View From The Air M25 Chaos: View From The Air Pothole Causes M25 Motorway Misery Pothole appears on the M25 Motorway, the busiest road in Europe Road to hell: M25 reopens after huge pothole causes travel chaos M25 reopens after pothole collapse causes day-long closure M25 to re-open 'this evening' following emergency repairs after heavy rain caused section of motorway to collapse M25 partially closed for 12 hours in heavy rain due to giant pothole as worse weather set to come M25 road collapse: heavy rain causes nationwide chaos M25 'collapses' causing traffic chaos as heavy rain and strong winds batter UK M25 reopens after travel chaos caused by giant pothole M25 section in Surrey collapses following roadworks M25 to re-open 'this evening' following repairs after heavy rain Chaos after section of M25 collapses causing long delays Big pothole caused by rain turns M25 into 'road to hell' A massive pothole has caused a delay on the M25 M25 Shutdown: Pothole Chaos On 'Road To Hell' M25 pothole armageddon' - what motorists made of Friday's road collapse chaos Massive pothole on UK's busiest road causes ten mile tailback M25 lanes to reopen this evening after road surface caved in Drivers stuck for three hours tonight on M25 in Surrey M25 chaos as crumbling carriageway causes problems for commuters Three hour delays on M25 tonight after partial road collapse M25 road collapse: heavy rain causes nationwide chaos Rain, floods and collapsed M25 - but no repeat of February M25 'collapses' causing traffic chaos as heavy rain and strong winds batter UK Miles of tailbacks after M25 road surface disintegrates Highway to hell: M25 drivers face delays as road surface collapses M25 Pothole Causes Chaos On Motorway Watch: M25 pothole closes three lanes M25 partially closed for 12 hours in heavy rain due to giant pothole as worse weather set to come M25 collapse: Weekend getaway hit by delays as three lanes of motorway remain shut Road to hell: Downpours threaten chaos across the country and there's more to come M25 collapses: Huge potholes and heavy rain spells misery for morning commuters Aerial view of M25 'collapse chaos' M25 Reopens,M25 Pothole Chaos,M25 Chaos,Pothole M25 Motorway,M25 huge pothole chaos,M25 pothole collapse,M25 road collapse,M25 section in Surrey collapses,M25 reopens after pothole collapse,M25 to re-open,Tailbacks m25 collapses,M25 reopens after travel chaos,M25 collapses traffic chaos,section of M25 collapses,M25 Shutdown,M25 pothole armageddon,Massive pothole in UK,M25 Pothole Causes Chaos,M25 pothole closes three lanes

• published: 15 Nov 2014
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