M6: Two-hour delays after lorry spills 'nasty chemicals' across motorway
The M6 northbound has been closed for several hours on Monday after a lorry carrying a corrosive substance shed its load.
The carriageway between Junction 15 for Stoke and Junction 16 for the A500 and Crewe was shut from around 10am while the industrial pipe cleaner was cleared off the carriageway.
Traffic was diverted through Stoke while the motorway was closed, with huge queues. As of 2pm there were eight miles of congestion, causing 90-minute delays.
Emergency services including Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) have been at scene. National Highways officers are also in attendance to assist with traffic management.
Posting at midday, officers from CMPG said the lorry had "lost its load of some nasty chemicals" and, although a plan was in place to reopen the carriageway, they warned that "logistically this is going to take time".
At 3.45pm one lane was finally reopened, however National Highways said there were still nearly seven miles of tailbacks causing delays of two hours.
While the carriageway was shut motorists were told to leave the M6 at Junction 15 and join the A500 heading east for 12.5 miles, travelling through Stoke until reaching the M6 at Junction 16, where they could rejoin the motorway.
The southbound carriageway remained fully open throughout.
