M40 Junctions 4 to 7: Stokenchurch and the Chilterns
From Handy Cross at High Wycombe to Thame, this stretch carries the M40 over the Chiltern Hills and down into Oxfordshire. It includes the oldest part of the motorway. Reports for these junctions are shown below.
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Latest accident or incident on the M40
The most recent accident or incident on the M40 that we are aware of.
M40 Westbound Jct 1A to M25 Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise Jct 16 Link and Slip Road Closure
03:2626 Sept 2026reported 11 min ago
- Location
- link road from M40 J1A northbound to M25 J16 anti-clockwise
- Direction
- Anticlockwise
- Lanes closed
- Carriageway closed
- Reason
- Repair work
- Schedule
- 23:00 Fri 25 Sept 2026 → 05:30 Sat 26 Sept 2026
Latest active roadworks on the M40
Roadworks live on the M40 right now.
A46 northbound from M40 Jct 15 (exit slip and roundabout) to A46 entry slip road closure
03:2626 Sept 2026reported 11 min ago
- Location
- M40 J15 southbound exit (after fast slip)
- Direction
- Northbound
- Lanes closed
- Carriageway closed
- Reason
- Roadworks
- Schedule
- 21:03 Fri 25 Sept 2026 → 06:00 Sat 26 Sept 2026
+ 1 more active roadworks - search all M40 traffic news →
Latest planned roadworks on the M40
The next planned roadworks scheduled on the M40.
M40 Southbound Jct 11 to Jct 10 lane 3 and 2 closure
03:2626 Sept 2026reported 11 min ago
- Location
- M40 southbound between J11 and J10
- Direction
- Southbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Maintenance work
- Schedule
- 20:00 Sat 26 Sept 2026 → 06:00 Sun 27 Sept 2026
Forecast - not confirmed
+ 21 more planned roadworks - search all M40 traffic news →
Road closed — on the overhead signs now
National Highways’ overhead signs are showing a road closure, as at 03:37 Sat 26 Sept 2026.
M40 J4-J2 CLOSED
Time now: Saturday, 26 September 2026, 03:3702:2326 Sept 2026set 1 hr ago✓ Checked by us 03:37
M40 J4-J2
CLOSEDOverhead Message
WhereM40 southbound, J12 to J5 · on 11 signsAlso onAlso showing on A43 signsSinceOn the signs since at least 22:05 Fri 25 Sept 2026We check these overhead signs at least every five minutes, but we can't guarantee a sign is still current if an incident or issue has been cleared and the sign has not been updated yet. Signs and news can each carry something the other does not - check both before you travel.
Search all the latest M40 traffic news →
Updated 03:37 Sat 26 Sept 2026
Powered by National Highways’ Transport Data Feeds.
The junctions on this stretch
- Junction 4 — the A404 at Handy Cross, High Wycombe.
- Junction 5 — the A40 for Stokenchurch.
- Junction 6 — the B4009 for Watlington, Princes Risborough, Lewknor and Chinnor.
- Junction 7 — the A329 for Thame and Wallingford.
The Stokenchurch Gap
Just beyond Junction 5 the motorway passes through a deep cutting in the chalk of the Chiltern escarpment, known as the Stokenchurch Gap, where the road enters Oxfordshire. The cutting is 1,200 metres long and up to 47 metres deep, and runs through the Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve. It was built in the early 1970s.
The area is known for frequent heavy fog in winter, which is worth remembering on an early journey. Red kites, reintroduced to the Chilterns, are often seen overhead.
A little history
The first section of the M40 to open, in June 1967, ran from Handy Cross to Stokenchurch, Junctions 4 to 5. The motorway was extended from Junction 5 to Junction 8 at Great Milton in 1974.
How busy is this stretch?
| Stretch | All vehicles | Lorries | Share lorries |
|---|---|---|---|
| J4 to J5 | 99,611 | 6,646 | 6.7% |
| J5 to J6 | 100,922 | 8,311 | 8.2% |
| J6 to J7 | 95,958 | 6,528 | 6.8% |
Traffic holds close to 100,000 vehicles a day over the hills. The lorry share rises to 8.2% between Junctions 5 and 6. The Department for Transport records the Junction 5 to 6 stretch at two count points either side of a council boundary with the same figure; it appears once.
Previous stretch: Junctions 1 to 4. Next: Junctions 7 to 9, Oxford.
Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.