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Sometimes people don't apply for official warning and encroach the roads just like that, thus leading to traffic backing up at times. So here it isn't official but can "close" be used?
They closed the road.
They blocked the road.
Again it isn't official like the police prohibiting people from using the road or when it's under construction or when it's roped off after a crime. So is the use of "close" natural?
While people encroaching on a road might functionally close it, close has an official connotation. It can also suggest either a temporary or long term closure.
Blocked is ambiguous, and could be applied to official or unofficial causes. It has a connotation of a more temporary obstruction than closed does.
