Catalogue of problems conspired to delay M6 reopening following fatal accident

A CATALOGUE of road safety issues and repair lorries trapped in traffic congestion combined to delay the reopening of the M6 in Birmingham following a fatal accident last month, a new briefing has revealed.

The northbound section of the motorway between junctions 5 and 6 was closed for almost 24 hours following the accident , which happened shortly before 2am on February 4.

The closure brought traffic chaos to Birmingham with major routes in and around the city gridlocked for much of the days.

The delay in reopening plus the amount of time traffic was stuck in queues is thought to have cost the local economy millions of pounds.

Drivers trapped in the congestion were furious with the delays, prompting councillors to challenge Highways England on the reasons for the delay in re-opening.

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has also convened a public hearing to determine the causes of the delay.

In a briefing into the accident, Highways England said due to the fatality extensive incident investigation work was needed by officers from the West Midlands Central Motorway Police Group, while it was later determined that all four lanes of the northbound carriageway at the scene of the accident required resurfacing as a result of a large diesel spillage.

The work required a 200m stretch of the motorway to be resurfaced, which could only be carried out while the motorway was closed.

“To resurface 200m of carriageway, 320 tonnes of tarmac and specialist heavy equipment was required. The tarmac was ordered and made on site from suppliers based in Leicester. 16 truck¬loads were required to deliver the 320 tonnes of tarmac from Leicester to J5 – J6 of the M6,” said the briefing.

“Vehicles were escorted but due to the volume of traffic approaching the closure it did take some time for the deliveries to reach the scene of the incident.”

The resurfacing work was completed at 10.45pm but then it needed time to cool and set before white line and stud replacement work could begin, this was not completed until 12.45am the following day.

Highways England said it used its website and West Midlands Twitter feed to update on the accident but said the various factors had all conspired to lengthen delays.