POLICE have closed the M5 in both directions from Hazelbank to Greencastle due to a security alert.
The alert was sparked on Saturday night and is ongoing.
“Motorists are advised to seek alternative routes. There are no further details at this stage,” a PSNI spokeswoman said.
Earlier a suspicious object discovered in Belfast was declared a hoax by police.
The item was found in the Glenmachan Street area of the city on Saturday afternoon.
Army bomb experts carried out a controlled explosion at the scene.
It was confirmed as a hoax a short time later, and roads in the area – including the Westlink off-slips at the Broadway junction – reopened.