M40 Southbound Traffic
Southbound on the M40 is the London-bound carriageway: from the M42 south of Birmingham, down past Warwick, Banbury and Oxford, over the Chilterns and into the M25 and Denham. This page shows reports affecting that direction.
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Latest accident or incident on the M40 southbound
The most recent accident or incident on the M40 southbound that we are aware of.
Latest active roadworks on the M40 southbound
Roadworks live on the M40 southbound right now.
Latest planned roadworks on the M40 southbound
The next planned roadworks scheduled on the M40 southbound.
M40 Southbound, Jct 11 to Jct 10, lane 3 and 2 closure.
04:56 (4:56am)10 Nov 2026reported just now
- Location
- M40 southbound between J11 and J10
- Direction
- Southbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Maintenance work
- Schedule
- 21:00 (9pm) Mon 9 Nov 2026 → 06:00 (6am) Tue 10 Nov 2026
Forecast - not confirmed
+ 19 more planned roadworks - search all M40 traffic news →
Search all the latest M40 traffic news
Updated 04:57 (4:57am) Tue 10 Nov 2026
Powered by National Highways’ Transport Data Feeds.
The run into London
Joining from the M42 at Junction 3A, southbound traffic passes Henley-in-Arden, Warwick and Leamington before the long rural section through north Oxfordshire. At Junction 8 the road swings east with the A40 joining from Oxford, then passes through the Stokenchurch Gap in the Chilterns towards High Wycombe.
The traffic builds sharply at the London end. The last two stretches before the M25 are the busiest on the whole southbound carriageway.
Southbound traffic, stretch by stretch
These are the Department for Transport’s 2025 daily counts for traffic heading towards London only, listed in the order you drive them.
| Stretch | All vehicles | Cars & taxis | Lorries |
|---|---|---|---|
| M42 J3A to J16 | 46,865 | 35,440 | 3,855 |
| J16 to J15 Warwick | 47,305 | 34,503 | 5,041 |
| J15 to J14 | 54,648 | 41,827 | 4,593 |
| J14 to J13 Leamington | 42,552 | 32,767 | 3,730 |
| J13 to J12 Gaydon | 42,393 | 31,864 | 4,729 |
| J12 to J11 Banbury | 45,146 | 32,903 | 5,472 |
| J11 to J10 Cherwell Valley | 42,393 | 31,443 | 3,961 |
| J10 to J9 Bicester | 44,262 | 32,969 | 4,780 |
| J9 to J8 Oxford | 30,917 | 23,809 | 2,103 |
| J8 to J7 Thame | 45,744 | 35,738 | 3,127 |
| J7 to J6 Lewknor | 48,487 | 37,823 | 3,219 |
| J6 to J5 Stokenchurch | 50,520 | 39,321 | 4,027 |
| J5 to J4 High Wycombe | 50,895 | 38,193 | 3,179 |
| J4 to J3 | 50,805 | 39,403 | 3,245 |
| J3 to J2 Beaconsfield | 68,532 | 53,346 | 3,756 |
| J2 to J1A (M25) | 69,560 | 53,995 | 3,818 |
| J1A to J1 Denham | 41,585 | 30,827 | 2,778 |
© M40Traffic.co.uk · Statistics from the Department for Transport
Southbound traffic peaks between Junction 2 and Junction 1A, at 69,560 vehicles a day — a little more than the northbound peak on the same stretch. It then falls to 41,585 between the M25 and Denham, once past the orbital. The quietest southbound stretch is Junction 9 to 8 on the Oxford side, at 30,917.
The Department for Transport labels most M40 count points eastbound and westbound, and the stretch from Oxford to Banbury northbound and southbound, because the road changes bearing. We read westbound and northbound as travel away from London, and eastbound and southbound as travel towards London. That is our reading of the compass letters, not a label the dataset gives. Where one stretch has more than one count point we show one; between Junctions 8 and 9 we use the count point labelled north and south.
Where to stop southbound
Warwick has a separate southbound site, and the other three — Cherwell Valley, Oxford and Beaconsfield — are at junctions, so they serve both directions. See Warwick services.
If you are continuing onto the orbital at Junction 1A, check M25 Traffic before you reach it.
Heading the other way? M40 northbound traffic towards Birmingham
Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.