A major highway in the United Kingdom has been closed following a significant accident, leading to an extended closure expected to last through the morning. The M61 in Greater Manchester has been shut down in the northbound direction between J9 (M65) and M6 J30 due to a collision that occurred on Monday, March 23.
Emergency services, including Lancashire Police, are currently on the scene, managing the situation. A designated diversion route is in operation, although traffic congestion is gradually increasing.
National Highways anticipates normal traffic flow to resume by approximately 11:30 am. The incident was reported by Inrix to have happened at 2 am, resulting in the road closure for an extended period.
Motorists are currently experiencing slow-moving traffic on the M61 as they approach the diversion, causing queues to extend back towards Chorley. According to reports from National Highways, a vehicle veered off the roadway during the collision.
With the closure in effect, long queues are forming as indicated by Google Maps. A diversion route has been established for affected drivers:
– Exit the M61 at J9
– Take the left lane onto the M65 slip road
– Continue on M65 and exit at junction 1 (Liverpool/M58/Birmingham)
– Follow directions towards Lancaster/Blackpool/M55 on the slip road
– Merge onto M6N/A6 at the roundabout
– Proceed towards Lancaster M6/Blackpool (M55)/Bamber Bridge A6
– Follow signs for M6 (North) towards Lancaster M6/Blackpool (M55)
– Take the 2nd exit at the roundabout onto the M6 slip road towards Lancaster M6/Blackpool (M55)
– Join the M6
National Highways has issued a notice stating that the road closure will persist throughout the morning peak hours. Emergency responders are actively managing the scene, and the diversion route remains operational.
The collision occurred during the early hours, as reported by Inrix, which stated that the road closure was due to a serious accident involving a vehicle around 2:00 am.