Last update: Thursday, July 01, 2021, 10:59 am
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M6 REOPEN after 10 hours of closure
M6 is slated to reopen shortly after it has closed for 10 hours, Highways say
The M6 will reopen at 1 a.m. shortly after a 10-hour lockdown following a major truck accident, Highways England says.
The accident investigation work has been completed and the vehicles involved in the accident have now been recovered from the motorway.
Highways say they are now working to clear and treat the road to make sure it can be safely reopened between exits 28 (Leyland) and 27 (Standish, Parbold).
Heavy traffic jam on the diversion route M6 through Leyland and Euxton
Traffic going south will be diverted from the Autobahn at Leyland and diverted 11 miles south along the A49 Wigan Road / Preston Road to rejoin the M6 at Standish.
There are currently heavy traffic jams around Leyland on the A49 as commuters leave the M6 and expect delays during the morning rush hour.
The M6 to the south remains completely closed overnight after a serious crash
This is the diversion route of the M6 as the motorway remains closed due to a serious accident near Leyland
A diversion route has been set up for M6 traffic, while the motorway to the south between Leyland and Standish remains closed overnight after a serious accident.
The motorway is expected to remain closed “for the next few hours”, according to Highways, with a closure between junction 28 (Leyland) and 27 (Standish / Parbold).
Traffic going south will be diverted from the Autobahn at Leyland and diverted 11 miles south along the A49 Wigan Road / Preston Road to rejoin the M6 at Standish.
There are currently heavy traffic jams around Leyland on the A49 as commuters leave the M6 and expect delays during the morning rush hour.
This is the diversion route
1. Leave the M6 heading south at Junction 28 in Leyland
2. Turn right on Leyland Way / B5256 and continue towards A49 Wigan Road
3. Merge onto A49 Wigan Road and travel eight miles south to central Standish
4. Turn right on A5209 and travel 1.5 miles west on Almond Brook Road to Junction 27M of the M6
You can keep up to date with the latest news on the M6 closure by visiting our live blog Here.
That’s all we know so far about the M6 lockdown between Leyland and Wigan
The M6 will likely remain closed for the “next few hours” after two separate truck accidents were involved this morning (Thursday July 1st).
The motorway was initially closed at around 11.30 p.m. after a truck drove between junction 27 (Standish, Parbold) and 26 (Orrell Interchange).
The closure caused traffic jams back to Leyland before reopening at 5:45 a.m., but there was a second crash in those queues.
A truck and a car were involved in this accident and led to a further closure of the congested lane to the south between Leyland (exit 28) and Standish / Parbold (exit 27).
Police, fire brigade and rescue workers were on site, but details of the victims have not yet been communicated.
Lancashire police have called the second accident “serious” and Highways said the accident resulted in diesel pollution on the highway.
Highways said the M6 is likely to remain closed during morning rush hour and for “at least the next few hours”.
A police spokesman said: “There is a serious collision in road traffic between a car and a truck at exit 28 to the south. It came to us just after 1 a.m.
“The road remains closed at this point.”
The North West Motorway Police Group is on site and is conducting a full investigation and street sweepers are now on site to clear the pavement of oil and debris.
Highways said there were likely to be “significant delays” in approaching the lock this morning and the agency is urging people to avoid the freeway and follow the detours.
Drivers can follow the hollow square symbol for detours, heading south on the B5256 and A49 and then heading west on the A5209.
However, delays can also be expected on the diversion routes due to the volume of traffic at peak times.
The North West Ambulance Service has been asked to comment.
At the latest when the M6 motorway is closed, it will remain closed during the morning rush hour
“The M6 going south remains closed between J28 and J27 due to a serious collision this morning.
“The North West Motorway Police Group is conducting an extensive investigation. The road is expected to remain closed during the morning rush hour.
“Road users are advised to follow the hollow square symbol via the B5256 and A49 to the south and then the A5209 to the west.
“Delays are to be expected on the way to this closure, additional travel times are also to be expected on diversion routes.”
Sweepers on site to clear debris
A road sweeper is now being used at the scene of the accident to clear debris and spilled liquids from the street.
Traffic jam on the M6 near Leyland
An earlier blockade of the M6 between junction 27 (Standish, Parbold) and 26 (Orrell Interchange) has been reopened, but a second blockage remains between junctions 28 (Leyland) and 27 (Standish, Parbold).
At 6:26 am, Highways England warned that the second closure between Leyland and Standish would remain “at least for the next few hours”.
Pictured below is a live image from the M6 in Leyland, taken at 6:50 a.m.
M6 to the south remains closed
The M6 going south remains closed this morning between Junctions 28 (Leyland) and 27 (Standish) due to a collision between a truck and a car at around 1am.
There are miles of traffic jams back to Exit 29 (Bamber Bridge) as the accident investigation continues.
The crash is said to have occurred in the queues caused by a separate buckled truck in the early evening that had blocked the motorway between J27 and J26.
DETERIORATION: Motorists are advised to follow the hollow square symbol on the A49 south through Euxton and Chorley to the J27
