Traffic Alert: Long delays on M6 after lorry overturns

5pm Update

The road has been reopened after repairs were completed. There were reports of delays back to Junction 7 (Great Barr) but these are effectively normal rush-hour conditions.

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There are long delays on the M6 southbound near Birmingham following a serious accident between a car and a lorry, in which the latter crashed through the central reservation and overturned, blocking the carriageway.

The incident is affecting the section of motorway between junction 6 (A38 Aston Expressway) and 5 (Castle Bromwich).

There are two lanes closed southbound to enable the vehicles to be recovered and a fuel spillage to be cleaned up.

The accident has also meant the closure of the outside lane on the northbound carriageway for repairs to the crash barrier.

The situation is not expected to clear until 5pm and there are delays of around 40 minutes to normal journey times. Traffic is stretching back beyond Junction 7 (Great Barr) and there are also queues on the M5 southbound link and on the M42.

Delays on the northbound carriageway are currently running at around 10 minutes but the lane closure is expected to be lifted shortly.