travel updates dartford crossing

Live Dartford Crossing traffic updates as strong winds close QE2 Bridge causing Dartford Tunnel travel chaos

The 33-year-old bridge has been closed due to safety fears

• Updated 09:02, 24 JAN 2024

The QE2 bridge at the Dartford Crossing has been shut after strong winds from Storm Jocelyn hit the UK. National Highways closed the Queen Elizabeth II bridge, between Junctions 31 and 1A of the M25, just before 2am on Wednesday, January 24, causing severe delays for commuters.

The agency said the closure was due to stay in place "in to and beyond peak times" and would only be lifted when it was "safe to do so". A diversion is in place to take traffic through the Dartford Tunnel.

There is congestion to J29 for Romford with long queues on the A127 from Basildon, long queues on the A13 from Orsett and queues on the A13 out of London past Purfleet. National Highways are diverting traffic through the Dartford Tunnel with two lanes each way.

On the Kent side of the crossing there are delays to J3 M20 Swanley Interchange with long queues on the A2 London-bound back past Gravesend to Cobham and out of London from Dartford Heath.

Traffic service Inrix said: "M25 QE2 Bridge clockwise closed, severe delays due to strong winds from J31 A1306 (Lakeside / Purfleet) to J1A A206 (Dartford). Congestion to J29 Romford, with long A127 queues from Basildon, A13 queues back to Stanford-le-Hope, and east from Rainham, plus queues through Purfleet and Thurrock."

The bridge was opened in 1991 and carries around 180,000 vehicles each day.

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• Dartford Crossing re-opened with 90 minute delays 09:01

Dartford Crossing re-opened with 90 minute delays

National Highways have confirmed that traffic has been released on the A282 south and the QEII Bridge Dartford Crossing has now re-opened.

The agency says: "There are delays of 90 minutes on approach to the Dartford Crossing."

Dartford Tunnel diversions

All traffic wishing to travel southbound/clockwise on the M25 is being diverted through the east bore tunnel.

Northbound crossing traffic is being confined to using the west bore Dartford tunnel only with a height restriction.

Vehicles over 4.8m will have to seek an alternative route via the clockwise M25.

National Highways say there are long delays of an hour above usual journey times.

Dartford Crossing due to Storm Jocelyn

The Dartford Crossing has been closed since around 2.22am this morning, according to National Highways.

It was closed as a result of strong winds caused by Storm Jocelyn.

A spokesperson for National Highways said: "The southbound QEII bridge at Dartford Crossing is closed due to strong winds. Our crews are currently on the bridge making safety checks with a view to re-opening."

There are currently delays of 60 minutes above usual journey times on the M25 clockwise approaching Dartford Crossing."

Dartford Crossing closed since 2am

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Live M25 traffic updates as queues build at Dartford Tunnel

Two lanes and one of the tunnels is closed this morning

• Updated 07:48, 21 APR 2023

For drivers on the M25 delays are building after one of the tunnels of the Dartford Crossing has been closed this morning (Friday, April 21). Two lanes were briefly closed with traffic being diverted to avoid the incident.

Reports say that a broken-down vehicle is the cause of the delays, with both lanes of the west tunnel heading anticlockwise closed. Traffic was diverted through the east tunnel instead which caused a large buildup of traffic.

Read more: Man found guilty of murdering wife in frenzied stabbing attack

All lanes have now been reopened, but traffic trackers are still seeing significant delays in the area. The worst affected area is between the Darenth Interchange to Lakeside and Purfleet at junction 31.

We'll have any further updates on the travel situation in our live travel coverage below. If you've been affected by this incident or any other, that may help out other drivers you can get in touch via our email or social media accounts. Please only get in touch if it is safe to do so.

Live M25 Dartford Crossing updates below:

• M25 Dartford Crossing traffic at a glance 06:49

Traffic has returned to normal

Traffic is back to normal for this time of day..

Never get caught out by traffic again

All lanes have reopened.

The two lanes of the West Tunnel have now reopened after they closed due to a vehicle breaking down.

Congestion stretches back to Darenth

There are about 5.25 miles of slower-moving traffic on the anticlockwise side of the M25 and Dartford Crossing this morning due to an earlier closure of the West Tunnel

Congestion stretches back from Lakeside to Darenth.

M25 Dartford Crossing traffic at a glance

• Queueing traffic due to earlier broken down vehicle
• M25 Dartford Tunnel anticlockwise from J1A A206 (Dartford) to J31 A1306 (Lakeside / Purfleet)
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Traffic Dartford

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• Nearby: Dartford Woolwich Bexleyheath Erith Sidcup Belhus

Current traffic around Dartford

The following traffic incidents and congestion for Dartford have been reported by Highways England, Traffic Scotland, Traffic Wales or Transport for London (TfL) in the last two hours:

Traffic in Nearby Villages

• New Town (0.34mi)
• Bowmans (1.1mi)
• Temple Hill (1.21mi)
• Barnes Cray (1.39mi)
• Fleet Downs (1.47mi)
• Hawley (1.59mi)
• Wilmington (1.64mi)
• Crayford (1.69mi)
• Slade Green (1.85mi)
• Heath Side (1.92mi)
• Stone (2.07mi)
• Darenth (2.13mi)
• Lane End (2.13mi)
• Clement Street (2.24mi)
• North End (2.26mi)
• Purfleet (2.3mi)
• Coldblow (2.31mi)
• Darent (2.34mi)
• Sutton at Hone (2.34mi)
• Barnehurst (2.46mi)
• Hextable (2.76mi)
• Puddledock (2.76mi)
• Greenhithe (2.82mi)
• Bean (2.83mi)

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Flights cancelled, delayed or diverted amid winds beyond ‘the limits of aircraft’

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Several flights bound for Leeds are being diverted as strong winds and heavy downpours continue to batter the UK .

Passengers heading from Belfast International Airport to Leeds Bradford Airport at 3pm today via easyJet were dragged to Manchester instead.

The severe winds lashing Leeds were well ‘outside the limits of the aircraft’, a spokesperson for the budget airline said.

Leeds Bradford Airport’s departure board shows several flights have been diverted to Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool. Others, meanwhile, remain grounded.

The roads aren’t exactly fairing any better. Congestion is already building on the M4 near Bristol and Heathrow Airport and on the M6 near Crewe.

Avanti West Coast trains between Edinburgh and London Euston, CrossCountry services from Manchester to Bristol and London Northwestern Railway were among those hit by delays and cancellations after a mystery object was caught in the overhead wires in the Midlands.

It comes after the Met Office said that the upcoming yellow weather warnings could bring travel disruption on rails and roads as the UK could see up to 100mm of rainfall over the next couple of days.

• 10h ago How railways are coping ahead of rush hour
• 14h ago Disruption on trains at London Bridge
• 16h ago Flights cancelled and delayed at Heathrow

Flights being grounded, delayed or diverted left, right and centre in Leeds

Strong winds are lashing Leeds right now, which is spelling bad news for passengers.

According to the flights page on the Leeds Bradford airport website , several incoming flights have been diverted to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and the East Midlands.

Among the impacted flights an easyJet  spokesperson said: ‘Flight EZY047 from Belfast International to Leeds Bradford has diverted to Manchester due to strong winds at Leeds outside the limits of the aircraft.

‘The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority and we are working to assist customers with options for onward travel from Manchester this afternoon.’

Departs have been impacted too. with several cancelled or delayed.

Traffic builds on M6 and M4 after collisions

Congestion is building on the motorways as rush hour gets underway.

The M6 and M4 have been hit with collisions on both motorways.

One out of three lanes was closed northbound between junctions J15 and J16 between Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe.

National Highways alert warned of 40-minute delays against expected traffic in the area.

Traffic is heavy heading towards the Prince of Wales and Severn Bridges on the outskirts of Bristol.

Congestion is the worst westbound between junctions J19 and J21, with drivers facing delays of 30 minutes.

How railways are coping ahead of rush hour

Today’s rush hour could get sticky across the rail network after incidents affecting services.

Here are all the disruptions currently wreaking havoc on train travel, although not all are weather-related.

Object caught in overhead wires

This is affecting the line between Stafford and Wolverhampton, meaning the line towards Wolverhampton is blocked.

Passengers face cancellations, delays of up to 40-minutes and revisions, with disruption expected until 4.30pm.

These lines are affected.

• Avanti West Coast between Edinburgh / Glasgow Central and London Euston
• CrossCountry between Manchester Piccadilly and Bristol Temple Meads / Bournemouth / Paignton
• London Northwestern Railway between Liverpool Lime Street and Birmingham New Street

Tree blocks the railway

While lines have now reopened after a fallen tree at Portchester, services between Fareham and Cosham could still be axed, delayed by up to an hour or changed.

The issue is expected to last until 5.30pm, National Rail said.

Here are the affected routes and services.

• Great Western Railway between Cardiff Central and Portsmouth Harbour
• Southern between Southampton Central and Brighton
• South Western Railway between Southampton Central and Portsmouth & Southsea / London Waterloo, and also between Fareham / Portsmouth Harbour and London Waterloo

Crash on M4 causes long delays on motorway

Drivers have been warned of long delays on the M4 near Swindon after a crash.

It happened westbound between junctions J14 and J15 shortly before 2pm.

Congestion is stretching for 3.5 miles on approach, causing 45-minute delays.

It comes as heavy rain is sweeping across the south of England and Wales today and tomorrow. The Met Office has warned of possible delays and disruption on roads and rail.

The #M4 westbound between J14 ( #Hungerford ) and J15 ( #Swindon ), lanes 1 and 2 (of 3) are closed due to a collision. There is currently approx. 3.5 miles of congestion on approach, causing delays of 45 minutes above usual journey times. pic.twitter.com/4X6JXI21o6 — National Highways: South-West (@HighwaysSWEST) September 5, 2024

Severe delays on Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines

The three Tube lines are severely delayed because there’s an obstruction on the track at Farringdon.

TfL are trying to remove the obstruction.

They say there’s good service on the rest of the line, and that London Buses are accepting tickets.

Disruption on trains at London Bridge

An issue at London Bridge is hampering train service to and from the busy station.

A train departing at the station ran into trouble, forcing other trains to run at a slower speed while an investigation was carried out.

Southern and Thameslink services are affected until 12 noon as service recovers after all lines reopened.

Trains could be delayed by up to 15 minutes, National Rail warned.

Delays on M4 near Heathrow after congestion

Drivers have been warned of half an hour delays on the M4 in Hounslow caused by heavy traffic.

The latest National Highways alert shows slow or stationary traffic eastbound between junctions J3 and J2 towards central London.

Normal traffic conditions are expected by 10.15am.

Flights cancelled and delayed at Heathrow

Several flights have been cancelled and delayed at Heathrow Airport today.

British Airways is among the carriers which has axed flights.

These flights have been cancelled this morning according to the airport departure board.

British Airways BA726 at 8am to Geneva

British Airways BA1476 at 10.15am to Glasgow

KLM KL1006 at 11.45am to Amsterdam

British Airways BA197 at 2.50pm to Houston

British Airways BA316 at 3pm to Paris

British Airways BA566 at 3.03pm to Milan

The following flights are displayed as delayed on the departure board.

British Airways BA484 at 8.55am to Barcelona

Lufthansa LH901 at 9.30am to Frankfurt

Virgin Atlantic VS047 at 9.55am to New York City

American Airlines AA087 at 10.05am to Chicago

British Airways BA1436 at 10.40am to Edinburgh

British Airways BA394 at 11.55am to Brussels

British Airways BA454 at 12.05pm to Malaga

British Airways BA714 at 12.20pm to Zurich

British Airways BA518 at 12.50pm to Lisbon

British Airways BA816 at 12.55pm to Copenhagen

British Airways BA632 at 1.15pm to Athens

Looking ahead: London Tube closures planned for this weekend

Here’s a full list of the TfL Tube closures planned for September 6-8.

This is in addition to the Waterloo & City line, which only runs on Monday to Friday.

Friday, September 6

• London Overground: Changes to Stratford to Richmond / Clapham Junction services on Friday 6 September: The 2159 train from Stratford to Richmond will terminate at Camden Road at 2219. The 2317 train from Richmond to Willesden Junction will not run.
• Changes to Barking Riverside to Gospel Oak services on Friday 6 September: The 2303 train from Barking Riverside to Gospel Oak will terminate at Upper Holloway at 2338.

Saturday, September 7:

• District: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, no service between Turnham Green and Richmond. 
• DLR: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, no service between Bank / Tower Gateway and Canning Town / Lewisham, also between Stratford and Canary Wharf. 
• London Overground: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, no service between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction. 
• Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, no service between Richmond / Shepherds Bush and Gospel Oak.
• Northern line:  Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, no service between Golders Green and Edgware (including Friday and Saturday Night Tube).
• Tram: Saturday 7, from 0000, and Sunday 8 September, no service between Mitcham Junction and Wimbledon.

Sunday, September 8

• DLR: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, no service between Bank / Tower Gateway and Canning Town / Lewisham, also between Stratford and Canary Wharf. 
• Elizabeth line: Sunday 8 September, until 1400, a reduced service operates between Paddington and Heathrow / Maidenhead. 
• Sunday 8 September, from 0040 until 0700, no service between Paddington and Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3.
• Sunday 8 September, no service between Hackney Downs and Chingford.
• Northern line: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, no service between Golders Green and Edgware (including Friday and Saturday Night Tube).
• Tram: Saturday 7, from 0000, and Sunday 8 September, no service between Mitcham Junction and Wimbledon. 

Maps show yellow weather warnings for rain in place today and tomorrow

Bear these in mind if you’re concerned about travel disruption caused by the upcoming heavy rain.

National Rail issues warning over heavy rain affecting trains until Friday

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for southern England and south Wales until Friday, 6 September.

The forecasted weather may cause trains to be disrupted:

• Heavy rainfall can cause flooding that results in tracks being underwater and embankments being damaged, causing potential landslips
• Flooding can affect points and signalling equipment, which allow trains to move from one line to another

For South Western Railway customers specifically, services between Axminster and Honiton will run at a reduced speed from 2-7pm today.

This measure is necessary for safety reasons following a landslip at Honiton Tunnel earlier this year.

Services between Axminster and Exeter St Davids will be subject to significant delay, and some services will be subject to alteration.

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Omsk city, Russia

The capital city of Omsk oblast .

Omsk - Overview

Omsk is one of the largest cities in Russia, a major scientific, cultural, sports, transport, and industrial center. The administrative center of Omsk Oblast, it is the second most populous city in Siberia.

The population of Omsk is about 1,126,000 (2022), the area - 567 sq. km.

The phone code - +7 3812, the postal codes - 644000-644246.

Omsk city flag

Omsk city coat of arms.

Omsk city map, Russia

Omsk city latest news and posts from our blog:.

10 November, 2019 / Tomsk - the view from above .

3 July, 2016 / Omsk - the view from above .

20 October, 2012 / The bear at the gate .

2 August, 2012 / Omsk city from bird's eye view .

14 December, 2011 / Time-lapse video of Omsk city .

More posts..

History of Omsk

Foundation of omsk.

The need to build a Russian fortress on the banks of the Irtysh at the mouth of the Om River arose in connection with the steppe nomadic peoples. In particular, with the Oirats, whose tribes in the first decades of the 17th century began to appear within the borders of the Russian state being under the onslaught of their external enemies and as a result of internal civil strife. However, various foreign and domestic political problems of Russia hindered the development and defense of the South Siberian borders.

The situation changed only at the beginning of the 18th century, when the Russian conquest of Siberia intensified. Since Peter I paid great attention to geographical research in the south, the expeditions of that time combined socio-political tasks and tasks of scientific research.

One of such expeditions was led by the Russian military and statesman, associate of Peter I, Major General Ivan Bukhgolts. The goals of the expedition, numbering about 3,000 people, were to search for ore and gold deposits, the discovery of trade routes to India and China, as well as the construction of towns on the Irtysh River.

The expedition left Tobolsk to the south along the Irtysh in July 1715. In the spring of 1716, after a conflict with the Dzungars in the north of today’s Kazakhstan, the remnants of the expedition (about 700 people) withdrew to the mouth of the Om River, where they laid a new fortress named Omsky ostrog (fortified settlement).

According to the census of 1725, 992 people lived in the fortress, in 1742 - 1,092 people. From the first years of its existence, it served as a place of exile for prisoners. After serving hard labor and imprisonment, a lot of them stayed in Omsk for permanent residence.

More Historical Facts…

Omsk in the second half of the 18th century

The ethnic composition of the region’s population was formed in the process of settling the territory. Russians, Germans, Ukrainians, Poles, Belarusians, and representatives of many other nationalities were sent here to serve or were exiled. The indigenous people of the region were the Siberian Tatars and Kazakhs, who switched to a sedentary lifestyle.

The foundation of the second Omsk fortress took place in 1762. The first fortress, although it occupied a favorable geographical position, was wooden and, by the middle of the 18th century, it was dilapidated. In 1765, new stone fortifications were constructed. The first stone structure of the fortress was the Resurrection Military Cathedral, built in 1773 and preserved to this day.

In the end of the 18th century, the Omsk fortress was one of the largest structures in the eastern part of the Russian Empire, its area was more than 30 hectares. In 1782, it was transformed into a town named Omsk within the Tobolsk Governorate. In 1785, the coat of arms of Omsk was approved.

Omsk became the center of management of the Siberian transport routes and the Siberian Cossack army, which not only guarded the South Siberian borders, but also made a huge contribution to the economic development of the steppe expanses of Kazakhstan, the annexation of Central Asia to the Russian Empire.

Omsk in the 19th century

The fire of 1819 destroyed almost half of the town including the archive and the magistrate of Omsk with all the first archival documents. Therefore information about the life of Omsk in the 18th - early 19th centuries is scarce and fragmentary. In 1825, the population of the town was about 9,000 people.

In 1829, the town’s development plan was approved. It was made by the famous Petersburg architect V.I. Geste, who took the city of St. Petersburg as a model with its wide avenues, huge neighborhoods, fountains, cast-iron bridges, and an abundance of green spaces.

The composition of the population of Omsk was not quite usual. In the middle of the 19th century, since Omsk was the center of the military and civil administration, the proportion of the military in the local population reached about 60%.

Fyodor Dostoevsky (one of the greatest psychological novelists in world literature), who served a term of hard labor in the Omsk prison in 1850-1854, in a letter to his brother gave Omsk the following description: “Omsk is a disgusting town. There are almost no trees. In summer, heat and wind with sand, in winter, a snowstorm. I have not seen nature. The town is dirty, military and highly depraved.”

By the second half of the 19th century, Omsk in its development outstripped many steppe towns and became not only an administrative, but also a commercial and industrial center. In 1861, in Omsk, there were 2,122 houses (31 stone houses), 34 factories and plants, about 20 thousand residents.

In 1892, the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began, which gave a new impetus to the economy of Siberian towns and positively influenced Omsk. The development of the Trans-Siberian Railway caused an increase in the urban population due to migrants who came to work from the central part of the Russian Empire. According to the 1897 census, 37.3 thousand people lived in Omsk. The town had 14 streets with a total length of more than 140 km and 13 squares.

Omsk in the first half of the 20th century

The beginning of the 20th century was a time of great changes for Siberia. Mass peasant colonization caused a sharp leap in the development of the region’s economy, primarily its agrarian sector, and the Trans-Siberian Railway ensured the inclusion of the local economy in the system of the All-Russian and European markets.

Due to its favorable economic and geographical position - at the intersection of the railway and the Irtysh River, in the middle of a vast agricultural territory - Omsk quickly turned into a large transport, trade and industrial center of Western Siberia and Governor-Generalship of the Steppes (Eastern and Central Kazakhstan).

Wholesale trade in bread, butter and other agricultural products was concentrated here. Omsk also became one of the industrial, social and cultural centers of Western Siberia. By 1903, the city’s population grew to 60 thousand people. In 1914, it had about 134.8 thousand residents. Omsk became the most populous city in Siberia.

During the Civil War on the territory of the former Russian Empire, from June 1918 to November 1919, Omsk was the residence of the Supreme Ruler of Russia, Admiral Alexander Kolchak, who declared this city the capital of white Russia opposing red Russia of the Bolsheviks. Soviet power was finally established in the city in 1920.

In the summer of 1921, an event took place that had a decisive impact on the cultural and economic life of Omsk. The functions of the administrative center of Siberia were transferred from it to the city of Novonikolaevsk (future Novosibirsk). In 1934, Omsk became the administrative center of a separate Omsk Oblast.

Over the years of industrialization, Omsk became one of the largest centers for agricultural engineering in the USSR. The metal-working industry also developed at a rapid pace. In 1939, Omsk numbered more than 288 thousand people.

During the Second World War, about 200 industrial enterprises were evacuated to Omsk, as well as 60 hospitals, dozens of educational institutions, theaters, museums, and hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Omsk after the Second World War

In the post-war years, new enterprises were put into operation in Omsk, all existing factories and plants were reconstructed and expanded. The industrial potential of the city was also strengthened by the Omsk oil refinery, the largest in the country. In connection with the rapid development of industry, especially petrochemical enterprises, the ecological situation deteriorated. The concentration of harmful substances in the air sharply increased. In 1964, the population of Omsk was about 702 thousand people.

In the 1970s-1980s, Omsk developed rapidly. In 1975, the city’s population exceeded 1 million. The most pressing problem was the ecological situation. Omsk was in the top 10 cities of Russia in terms of environmental pollution. Another problem that required an immediate solution was the development of passenger transport. The capacity of Omsk streets was exhausted, and therefore the construction of the subway became an urgent issue.

The economic crisis that gripped Russia after the collapse of the USSR had a negative impact on the economy of Omsk and the region as a whole. There was a significant decline in industrial production, construction volumes fell, and unemployment rose. A lot of organizations of the defense complex, research institutes, and design bureaus found themselves in a deep crisis without the state defense order.

The share of mechanical engineering and metalworking, light industry, and, to a lesser extent, chemical and petrochemical, forestry and woodworking industries decreased. At the same time, the share of the fuel industry, energy, and construction materials industry began to grow.

In the 2000s, Omsk again became one of the most important economic centers of Western Siberia with a developing mechanical engineering, petrochemical industry, various branches of the woodworking, construction industry, and a highly productive agro-industrial complex. In recent years, Omsk has also acquired the features of one of the largest Siberian centers of entrepreneurship and banking/financial activities.

Architecture of Omsk

On the street in Omsk

Author: Tim Brown

Yak-9 fighter aircraft in front of the aerospace engineering company Polyot in Omsk

The Omsk Cadet Corps

Author: Stanislav Katsko

Omsk - Features

Omsk is located in the south of the West Siberian Plain at the confluence of the Om River into the Irtysh, about 150 km from the border of Russia with Kazakhstan. About 60% of all residents of Omsk Oblast live in Omsk. The City Day of Omsk is celebrated on the first Saturday of August.

The city’s coat of arms is very similar to the first coat of arms of Omsk approved by Empress Catherine II in 1785. It depicts a part of the brick fortifications, which symbolizes the reason for its foundation as a fortress and the center of the Siberian defensive line.

Omsk belongs to the temperate climatic zone with a continental climate of the forest-steppe of the West Siberian belt. It is distinguished by an abundance of sunlight. The average air temperature in January is minus 16.3 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 19.6 degrees Celsius. The highest wind speeds are observed in winter and spring, which is the reason for frequent snow and dust storms.

In the past, the ecological situation in Omsk was very unfavorable. Since 2011, the city’s environmental development rating has increased significantly. This was the result of large-scale modernization of many large industries (including the Omsk oil refinery). Today, road transport is the main source of air pollution in the city.

The level of pollution of the Omsk rivers - Irtysh and Om - remains consistently high. Swimming in them is prohibited. While industrial effluents are becoming more environmentally friendly, sewers are releasing waste products including diesel fuel and petroleum products into the rivers. Dust raised by dust storms is also a serious problem for the city as it contains a lot of harmful substances including lead.

The city’s industry is based on oil refining, petrochemistry, chemical industry, mechanical engineering (production of aerospace equipment, armored vehicles, agricultural equipment). Omsk is a major transport junction - the Trans-Siberian Railway runs through the city from west to east, and the navigable Irtysh River crosses it from south to north. Omsk Airport offers regular flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Surgut, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Salekhard, Kazan, Krasnodar, Sochi.

The unfinished subway of Omsk has become famous in Russia thanks to its only one fully built station. Its construction began back in 1992. However, due to funding problems, the completion of the first line was postponed numerous times. In 2019, it was finally decided to permanently stop construction. For local residents, because of the long wait for the completion of the construction, the Omsk metro symbolizes unrealizable hopes, they talk about it with irony.

In Omsk, there are practically no buildings higher than 50 meters, according to this parameter it is one of the lowest cities with a population of over one million. 130 architectural monuments are concentrated in the central part of the city, almost half of the total number.

Main Attractions of Omsk

Dormition Cathedral - the largest church in Omsk located in the very center of the city. The original church was built in 1891-1898. In 1935, it was completely destroyed. In 2005-2007, an exact copy of the building was restored in its original place. This is one of the most beautiful buildings in Omsk. At night, the building is illuminated and looks especially majestic. Tarskaya Street, 7.

Irtysh Embankment - the main walking street of Omsk with a picturesque view of the Irtysh River. Built in the middle of the 20th century, the embankment was reconstructed in the 2000s. You can walk along the alley on foot, ride rollerblades or a bike.

Merchant Batyushkin’s Mansion (1902). This architectural monument is located on the Irtysh Embankment. It is also known as the Kolchak’s House because Alexander Kolchak, the Supreme Ruler of Russia, lived in this building in 1919. One part of the building is occupied by the registry office of the Central District of Omsk. The Center for the Study of the History of the Russian Civil War is also open here. Irtyshskaya Naberezhnaya Street, 9.

Omsk State Museum of History and Local Lore - one of the oldest museums in Siberia and Russia founded in 1878. In total, this museum has over 200 thousand various objects of cultural, historical and artistic value. The museum is especially proud of such exhibits as the cast-iron figures of the Chinese lions Shi-Tzu, presented to the museum from China in 1895, as well as the skeleton of a woolly mammoth almost 3 meters high. Lenina Street, 23?.

Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after M.A. Vrubel - one of the largest museums of fine arts in Siberia. It has collections of foreign and Russian art from antiquity to the present day. In total, there are over 22 thousand works by painters, graphic artists and sculptors, as well as more than 1.5 thousand rare folios.

Walking through the exhibition halls, you can admire the canvases of Shishkin, Aivazovsky, Surikov, Repin, Serov, Vereshchagin. The exhibition of rare icons dating from the 17th-20th centuries is of constant interest among visitors, as well as a unique collection of jewelry made of precious metals found in the Scythian and Sarmatian burial mounds. Two buildings of the museum are located at Lenina Street 3 and 23.

In November 2019, a new exhibition was opened in a historical building at Muzeynaya Street, 4 - the exhibition of art of the 20th-21st centuries. The Hermitage-Siberia Center is located here too - the first representation of The State Hermitage Museum (the second-largest art museum in the world) beyond the Urals.

Chokana Valikhanova Street - a pedestrian street located in the historic part of Omsk. The street is decorated with abstract architectural forms, flower beds, wrought-iron lanterns. The walking area ends with an observation deck with a picturesque view of the Irtysh River.

Museum of Kondraty Belov . The museum of this landscape painter born in Omsk can be found in a picturesque wooden house, which is considered one of the most interesting architectural monuments of Omsk. The exposition tells about the life and work of Kondraty Belov, as well as about the history of the building itself.

In total, this museum has about 700 exhibits. The permanent exhibition also includes works by Kondraty Belov’s son Stanislav and paintings by some other local artists. In addition, temporary exhibitions of contemporary Omsk artists are regularly held here. Chokana Valikhanova Street, 10.

Plumber Stepanych Monument - an unusual sculpture located in the center of Omsk, which you can literally stumble upon while walking along Lenin Street between the houses #12 and #14. Leaning out of the hatch, the plumber is depicted as realistic and life-size as possible. It is among the most photographed monuments in Omsk. There is a similar sculpture in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

Lyuba Monument . This sculpture, located on the opposite side of Lenin Street from the monument to the plumber Stepanych, is especially loved by Omsk residents and tourists, who love to be photographed against its background.

This beauty in a lace dress with a neckline and a crinoline sitting on an openwork bench and reading a novel had a real prototype - Lyubov (diminutively Lyuba or Lyubasha) Gasford, the wife of the Governor-General of Siberia, who lived in Omsk in the 19th century and died at a young age due to illness. One of the streets of Omsk and the park are named in her memory. She is a local symbol of femininity and beauty.

Omsk Fire Tower - a picturesque architectural monument built at the beginning of the 20th century. Inside the tower there are museum expositions dedicated to the local fire brigade and the history of tower construction. Internatsionalnaya Street, 41?.

Park of Culture and Rest named after the 30th anniversary of the Komsomol - a popular place for walks, recreation and entertainment of Omsk residents and tourists, which has retained “the spirit of the Soviet era” in its name. Today, on an area of 73 hectares, several zones have been organized, various types of recreation are presented. There are walking alleys, ponds, water activities, for example, riding on hydro-scooters.

The ice town is open in winter, the Return of the Dinosaurs exhibition - in summer. The “House Upside Down” exposition is also popular with tourists. This park is a place for mass festivities, city celebrations and events. Maslenitsa, Christmas, City Day, and other holidays are celebrated here. Maslennikova Street, 136.

Natural Park “Bird Harbor” - a specially protected area located on the path of bird migration in the central part of Omsk. During autumn flights, up to 3 thousand birds stop here for rest. It is a great place to enjoy nature, walk along the eco-trail, and observe the life of birds. The park is situated in the floodplain on the left bank of the Irtysh River next to the Victory Park on Yeniseyskaya Street.

Omsk city of Russia photos

Pictures of omsk.

Bogdan Khmelnitsky Monument in Omsk

Lenin Monument in Omsk

Churches of Omsk

Chapel of St. George in Omsk

Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Omsk

Cathedral of the Nativity in Omsk

Sights of Omsk

Fountain with frogs in the park next to the main building of the Agricultural Academy in Omsk

Author: Alexey Pavlov

Church of St. Nicholas in Omsk

Exaltation of the Holy Cross Cathedral in Omsk

Author: Stanislav Vosinsky

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Live M25 Dartford Crossing traffic updates as accident closes tunnel and large queues build

Queues are already starting to build back to Dartford

• Updated 14:42, 13 DEC 2021

An accident in the right hand tunnel at the Dartford Crossing has led to long queues on the M25 .

The tunnel has been closed with all traffic now being forced through the left hand tunnel.

It's believed the accident happened around 11:30am this morning (December 13)

READ MORE: M25 traffic pictures show sheer number of cars trapped after pedestrian seriously injured

Traffic is already starting to build towards Dartford and Swanley.

KentLive has contacted Kent Police for a statement on the accident.

Travel site Inrix has said: "Two lanes closed and delays due to accident on M25 Dartford Tunnel anticlockwise from J1A A206 (Dartford) to J31 A1306 (Lakeside / Purfleet). Congestion to halfway before J2 (Darenth Interchange).

"The right hand tunnel is closed. The left hand tunnel (which is smaller at only 4.8 meters high ) remains open.

We'll keep you up to date with the latest happening in our live blog below.

Kent Police confirm three lorries involved in Dartford Crossing crash

Kent Police have issued a statement on the incident at the tunnel

A statement said:

Kent Police was notified of a collision involving three lorries in the east tunnel of the Dartford Crossing at about 12.30pm on Monday 13 December 2021.

All lanes have now reopened but delays remain

• Delays due to earlier accident on M25 Dartford Tunnel anticlockwise from J1A A206 (Dartford) to J31 A1306 (Lakeside / Purfleet). Congestion to almost J3 M20 (Swanley Interchange).
• All lanes have been re-opened.
• The right hand tunnel was closed.
• The left hand tunnel (which is smaller at only 4.8 meters high ) remains open.

Delays on the M25 back to Dartford

Drivers are facing delays on the M25 as they approach the Dartford Crossing.

An accident in the right hand tunnel has led to all traffic being diverted through the left hand tunnel

We'll keep you updated on the latest

Keep up to date with the latest on the M25 traffic

See what's happening on the roads or trains near you by entering your postcode below or visit InYourArea for latest traffic info

What we know so far?

• Two lanes closed and delays due to accident on M25 Dartford Tunnel
• Congestion to halfway before J2 (Darenth Interchange).
• The right hand tunnel is closed.
• The left hand tunnel (which is smaller at only 4.8 meters high ) remains open
• Dartford Crossing
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• 55.3233 73.07655 1 Chernoluchye/Krasnoyarka recreation area

Expect that some knowledge of Russian will greatly assist you in your travels here.

Omsk is a major stop (and indeed, one of the best stops) on the Trans-Siberian Railway . This capital city is also the "terminus" for the Trans-Siberian Railway's South Ural branch.

Omsk Tsentralny Airport ( OMS   IATA ), serviced by flights from Moscow , Saint Petersburg , Krasnoyarsk , and Andijan , Uzbekistan .

• Cruising, whitewater rafting, and canoeing along the Irtysh, Tara, and Shish rivers

The next major stops on the Trans-Siberian Railway are Tyumen to the west and Novosibirsk to the east. The first major stop to the west along the South Ural Branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway is Petropavlovsk , Kazakhstan .

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