Everything we know about police incident that closed M4 for hours at J37 Pyle and J38 Margam

Ffion Lewis

23 May 2024 at 11:40 am·3-min read

There were long queues around J37 and J38 of the M4 — -Credit: (Image: Traffic Wales)

The M4 was closed in both directions for several hours on the afternoon of Thursday, May 23, due to a police incident. There were miles of queues on both sides of the carriageway with people urged to stay in their vehicle.

The incident was centred on a bridge above the M4 between Junctions 37 and 38 (Pyle and Margam). All traffic was held on both carriageways, with queues of up to 90 minutes at one point. Photos from the scene showed gridlocked traffic with motorists exiting their vehicles and others leaving the motorway at Junction 37 and turning around.

The road was closed at around 12pm and started to re-open just before 3pm. Both carriageways opened gradually while emergency services removed broken down vehicles from the queues.

When was the M4 closed?

Both carriageways of the M4 were closed between J37 and 38 (Pyle and Margam) at just after 12:30pm on Thursday, May 23. The road started to re-open gradually at around 3pm but some lanes remained closed westbound while emergency services moved broken down vehicles.

There were miles of queues both east and westbound while the incident was ongoing, with queues reaching 90 minutes at one point.

Why was the M4 closed?

South Wales Police confirmed that the road was closed due to a police incident on the bridge over the M4 between J37 and J38.

How long was the M4 closed for?

The road was closed in both at around 12:30pm on Thursday afternoon and started to re-open just before 3pm. As of 4pm, Traffic Wales confirmed that the eastbound carriageway was open completely but lanes one and two remained closed westbound. This was for broken down vehicles to be removed from the road.

How long were the queues?

At their longest, the queues reached 90 minutes. Traffic maps showed miles of queues trailing back past Bridgend eastbound and Briton Ferry westbound.

What did South Wales Police say?

South Wales Police issued several incidents about the incident. Their first statement just before 1pm read:

"We are at the scene of an incident on the M4 Junction 38. The road is closed in both directions between J37 Porthcawl and J38 Margam. It is expected to remain closed for some time. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes where possible. Delays are expected in the area."

They issued further statements at 3pm and 4pm which read:

"The incident on the M4, which closed the carriageway between J37 Porthcawl and J38 Margam, has now been resolved. Motorists are advised to proceed with caution while the congestion eases. Thank you for your patience and understanding."

And "The westbound carriageway has partially reopened, while the eastbound carriageway remains closed. Congestion remains heavy in the area and we urge all motorists to proceed with caution. We apologise for any confusion caused by the previous update."

The force confirmed to WalesOnline that the closure centred around an incident on a bridge over the M4.

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