A1(M) Bowburn – One in hospital after crash closes lanes

Emergency services were called to the northbound carriageway between Junction 60 at Bradbury and Junction 61 near Bowburn at around 6.35am on Thursday (May 28). National Highways said the crash involved a car striking the central reservation, with lanes closed while emergency crews dealt with the incident. The crash caused delays of up to 20 minutes and around two miles of congestion on the approach.

The A1(M) (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said: "We received a call at 6.36am on Thursday, May 28, to reports of a road traffic incident on the A1 northbound near Bishop Middleham in Durham. "We dispatched an ambulance crew and a crew from our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) to the scene.

One patient was taken to UHND for further treatment." Lane 3 (of 3) remains closed on the #A1M [1] northbound between J60 #Bradbury [2] & J61 #Bowburn [3] due to a collision in which a car has struck the central reservation. Vehicle recovery is en route.

Delays of 20 minutes & 2 miles of congestion on approach. pic.twitter.com/dYShD5iL9m [4] -- National Highways: North-East (@HighwaysNEAST) May 28, 2026 [5] Traffic monitoring service Inrix reported that traffic was later "coping well", although lane closures remained in place northbound.

Traffic England said delays of around 10 minutes were still being reported shortly after 8am, with the incident expected to clear by late morning. Durham Police attended the scene alongside ambulance crews. National Highways North East posted on X: "Lane 3 (of 3) remains closed on the A1M northbound between J60 Bradbury and J61 Bowburn due to a collision in which a car has struck the central reservation.

"Vehicle recovery is en-route."

Drivers are advised to allow extra time for journeys through the area.

References

^ #A1M (x.com)
^ #Bradbury (x.com)
^ #Bowburn (x.com)
^ pic.twitter.com/dYShD5iL9m (t.co)
^ May 28, 2026 (x.com)