Rush-hour chaos threatens to gridlock Birmingham

7PM Update: The situation is now easing but severe delays are still reported around Junction 10 of the M6 at Walsall due to serious flooding. The problem is having a knock-on effect for traffic trying to join the M6 northbound from the M5.

WEST Midlands motorists face a nightmare journey home after a succession of motorway accidents and breakdowns gridlocked the road network around Birmingham.

The A38 Aston Expressway out of the city is subject to long delays following accidents on both the northbound and southbound carriageways of the M6 on the approaches to Spaghetti Junction.

Highways authorities have warned of delays of anything up to 70 minutes.

Two lanes are blocked on the M6 northbound between junctions 5 and 4a following an accident, while on the southbound carriageway between junctions 7 for Great Barr and 6 for the Aston Expressway, one lane remains closed to allow for recovery of an overturned van.

Congestion is severe and the queues tailback to Junction 10a, the turning for the M54.

This accident happened around 3.30pm and caused delays almost immediately with two lanes closed off.

The situation is little easier on the M5 northbound, where tailbacks stretch back to Junction 2, Oldbury, due to difficulties accessing the M6.

Further back on the M5 northbound there are severe delays between junctions 5 (Droitwich) and 4a (the M42) after a vehicle broke down in roadworks taking out one lane.

Flooding compounded the problems.

A violent hailstorm in Walsall around 4pm flooded major roads around the town and the slow moving traffic added to congestion as motorists left the M6 at Great Barr trying to skirt around the motorway delays.