LIVE: Two lanes shut after M6 closed for hours following huge lorry fire

A stretch of the M6 has been closed following a huge lorry fire overnight. The M6 was closed in both directions by 2.30am today (April 14) as crews dealt with a blaze between junctions 22 at Winwick and 23 for the East Lancs Road. The southbound carriageway reopened around an hour later, but the northbound carriageway remained closed this morning.

National Highways reopened the motorway at around 11.40am, but two lanes of traffic will remain closed for repairs until tonight. A spokesperson for National Highways north west said: "M6 in Greater Manchester has re-opened northbound between J22 Winwick and J23 St Helens following a lorry fire. "Lanes one and two (of four) will remain closed until tonight, full closure overnight for emergency resurfacing.

"Please allow extra journey time. Thank you for your patience." Fire crews from Merseyside and Cheshire spent more than four hours tackling the blaze.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: "Fire crews were called to an HGV fire on the M6 northbound between junctions 22 and 23 in the early hours of this morning, April 14. "Crews were alerted at 2.21am and on scene at 2.33am, with two fire engines from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and one from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service in attendance. "Crews arrived to find a Heavy Goods Vehicle trailer well alight.

The driver was out of the vehicle on arrival and in a place of safety. "Traffic flow on the carriageway was managed by the Highways agency and Police with intermittent closures of parts of the carriageway and lane closures owing to firefighting activity and a significant smoke plume. "Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were able to extinguish the main part of the fire by 4.45am using main jets and hose reel jets and were damping down by around 5.00am.

Firefighting had ceased by 6.34am and crews left the scene at 6.52am." National Highways is warning that the road is likely to remain closed for 'several hours' for repairs, following the 'substantial fire'. Traffic is also currently unable to join the M6 north from the M62, with the exit slip roads from both the M62 east and westbound closed off at junction 10 for the Croft Interchange.

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