Northbound M6 shut overnight for works after lorry jackknifes and catches fire

The northbound M6 will be closed between Junctions 12 and 13, near Penkridge, tonight after a lorry jackknifed and burst into flames on Sunday.

Drivers faced long delays and five miles of congestion after the incident at 11.30am on Sunday, after which a man was taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

National Highways has now announced that the northbound carriageway between the junctions for Cannock and Stafford will be closed after 10pm tonight to install temporary barriers.

A spokeswoman for National Highways said: "Due to the severity of the barrier damage it will take a while for us to be able to carry out a permanent repair.

"There’s no time frame for that yet. We are however intending to install some temporary barriers overnight tonight to ensure the safety of road users and continued protection of the bridge.

"We will be installing the temporary barriers tonight after 10pm and it will be done under a total closure of the northbound carriageway between Junctions 12 and 13.

"We expect it to take several hours rather than the full night.

"Traffic will be diverted via the hollow triangle – leave the M6 at Junction 12 and take the A5 westbound to the A449 at Gailey and then the A449 northbound to rejoin the M6 at Junction 13.

"Once those barriers are in place the current speed restriction will be lifted and the M6 will operate with three lanes instead of four until the full repair has been completed."

Emergency services were called to the scene on Sunday morning after reports of an overturned lorry on fire.

The driver of the lorry, a man in his 40s, was already out of the vehicle when ambulance crews arrived and was subsequently taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We were called to reports of an RTC on the M6 northbound between Junctions 12 and 13 near Penkridge just before 11.30am yesterday.

"Two ambulances, two paramedic officers and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford were sent to the scene whilst a community first responder was also in attendance.

"On arrival, crews discovered a lorry had been involved in a collision and the driver, a man, was already out of the vehicle.

"Ambulance staff treated the patient for injuries not believed to be serious before conveying him by land ambulance to New Cross Hospital for further treatment."

A spokesman for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service added: "We were called to the M6 northbound between Junctions 12 and 13 at 11.30am on Sunday following reports of a lorry fire.

"On arrival, fire crews found a lorry overturned and on fire. Both northbound and southbound routes were closed at 11.55am.

"Crews from Cannock, Chase Terrace, Cheadle and Stafford attended as did air ambulance, Highways and our colleagues from Staffordshire Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service.

"Crews used two breathing apparatus and two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire.

"The driver of the lorry, a man in his 40s, was taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

"The southbound route was reopened just after 12.20pm. The northbound route was reopened later in the day. Crews left the scene just before 1.40pm."