Huge M6 lorry fire closes motorway bringing traffic to a standstill for miles
Drivers on the M6 have been confronted with long delays this morning after a lorry fire closed the motorway in both directions.
Traffic was stopped after the HGV carrying soft drinks and toiletries burst into flames on the southbound carriageway between Junction 7, Perry Barr, and Junction 6, A38, at around 7am on Wednesday.
Firefighters had put the blaze out by 7.30am, but National Highways reported that traffic was rapidly building with delays of around 60 minutes on the southbound carriageway from Junction 10A for the M54 reported at 8am. Queues were also stretching back to Junction 1 on the northbound carriageway of the M5 as emergency crews and highways teams worked to get a lane open heading south after the northbound carriageway was reopened earlier this morning.
In a statement the agency said: "The damage to the lorry involved is significant and part of the tractor unit has melted in to the carriageway. As a result we expect removal and recovery of the lorry will be a protracted operation and repairs to the road road surface and the overhead gantry will also be necessary.
"Emergency Services are on scene and our Traffic Officers are making every effort to open a lane past the scene as soon as possible."
As well as delays southbound due to the closed carriageway, National Highways added: "There are also delays on the northbound M6 past the scene due to road users slowing to observe the scene.
"Road users intending on travelling on this section of the M6 are advised to allow plenty of extra time for their journeys and consider alternate routes, if possible."
One lane out of four on the southbound carriageway reopened at around 8.20am, by which time queues had built even further, to Junction 11 for Cannock on the M6 and Junction 2 for Oldbury.
"The lanes will remain closed for some time due to a protracted recovery and infrastructure repair," National Highways added.
West Midlands Fire Service said three fire crews - from West Bromwich, Walsall and Erdington - attended the blaze.
"They arrived to find the HGV well alight. The vehicle was carrying soft drinks and toiletries," a statement from the service said.
"The fire was extinguished by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and using hose reel jets. By 7.55am they were damping the vehicle down.
"At 8.20am our colleagues at National Highways confirmed that one lane of the southbound motorway had been reopened, but that three lanes were likely to remain closed for some time for vehicle recovery and infrastructure repair."
The Central Motorway Police Group asked drivers to find alternative routes, but warned there will be traffic delays in the area.
National Highways reported at around 9.20am that recovery of the lorry was under way.
The update continued: "Once cleared road surface will need to be replaced due to heavy damage and the overhead gantry requires repair," as the agency warned of 90-minute delays, as well as congestion from Junction 11 on the M6, Junction 1 on the M5 and local roads.
By 10.45am three lanes had been reopened with debris cleared to the hard shoulder and National Highways reporting 30-minute delays from Junction 10A.
At around 8am northbound traffic on the motorway was halted when a lorry and car collided at Junction 10A for the M54.
Two lanes were briefly reopened before traffic was stopped again for the lorry and car to be cleared from the carriageway.
An image shared by National Highways showed a car stranded in the outside lane of the motorway with police and ambulance crews at the scene.
In a morning of crashes and incidents on the Black Country's motorways, two vehicles collided in the queues on the road linking from the M5 northbound to the M6 southbound, closing one of two lanes.
National Highways warned motorists using the M5 north from Junction 2 to expect severe delays.
