M42 closed and traffic diverted more than 18 hours after lorry fire
M42 motorists are being asked to follow a diversion route this morning, June 27, more than 18 hours after a lorry caught fire. The M42's[1] southbound carriageway remains closed on Thursday morning between junction 10 for Tamworth and junction 9 for Curdworth and Sutton Coldfield[2] due to the fire, which was reported at around 1.40pm on Wednesday, June 26.
The key stretch remains closed this morning and drivers are being asked to follow a diversion route. Due to the damage caused by the fire, the southbound carriageway is expected to remain closed throughout the morning and into the afternoon as repairs and resurfacing will need to be carried out in both lanes.
National Highways and emergency services were alerted to the HGV fire on the hard shoulder at around 1.30pm yesterday. Warwickshire[3] Fire and Rescue Service attended, helping to remove the load of cardboard from the remains of the lorry and damping down before it could be taken away.
LIVE TRAVEL UPDATES: M42 closed and M6 delays live as drivers diverted from lorry fire causing motorway misery[4]
However, the operation to remove the load from the vehicle was a slow process as the pallets of cardboard would reignite when moved, and despite the use of four grab wagons, the removal work took until around 5am. The vehicle has now been recovered but the entire width of the carriageway needs to be resurfaced before it can safely reopen.
One Tamworth resident said the traffic is "horrendous" this morning at the end of her street as a result of the M42 closure. She added that people were cutting through Tamworth[5] at around 8am to get to where the M42 joins the M6.
National Highways West Midlands has issued a photo of the lorry fire damage and the attempts by Warwickshire Fire Service to bring the incident under control -Credit:National Highways West Midlands
Diversion route
Drivers are advised to follow the solid triangle diversion symbol on road signs:
Exit the M42 at junction 10 and take the A5 westbound Watling Street.
Continue along the A5 westbound to its junction with the A452, Bonehill Road.
Take the exit to the A453 southbound and continue to its junction with the A446, Bassetts Pole.
Take the exit to the A446 eastbound and continue to the M42 junction 9 to re-join.
Elsewhere on the M6, motorist woes continue after a separate crash. Junctions two to four northbound only re-opened this morning, June 27, almost 15 hours after the collision took place. Junctions two to four northbound only re-opened this morning, June 27, almost 15 hours after the collision took place.
References
- ^ M42's (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Sutton Coldfield (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Warwickshire (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ M42 closed and M6 delays live as drivers diverted from lorry fire causing motorway misery (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Tamworth (www.birminghammail.co.uk)