Major M6 delays as busy stretch shut for emergency repairs
Motorists in Staffordshire have been battling huge delays after emergency repairs saw a busy stretch closed throughout the day.
The closure between Junction 14 for Stafford and Junction 15 for Stoke led to delays of around 90 minutes in both directions as drivers were diverted on A roads through the county.
The northbound carriageway has now reopened but the southbound route remains shut while repairs to an overhead bridge are finished.
Work started in the early hours of this morning and was initially expected to be finished before lunchtime, but repairs have continued throughout the afternoon.
The northbound road was reopened just in time for the evening rush hour at 3.30pm.
Highways England warned of major delays from both directions and encouraged drivers to allow plenty of extra time and consider using alternative routes.
Traffic cameras over the M6 showed cars travelling bumper to bumper as they approached junctions 14 and 15, with southbound drivers diverted along the A500 to Hanford and down the A34 to Junction 14.
Meanwhile a collision closed two out of four southbound lanes near Great Barr at 3pm, just as the carriageway was returning to normal following an earlier crash at Coventry.
Two cars crashed between Junction 7 for Great Barr and Junction 6 for Birmingham, leaving two lanes out of action for around an hour.
Earlier the southbound route was closed between Junction 3 for Bedworth and Junction 2 for Coventry after what Highways England described as a 'serious collision'.
There were delays of up to an hour while an air ambulance landed at the scene at around 8am and the road wasn't fully back open until early afternoon.
Meanwhile a car fire on the hard shoulder near Junction 3 added to the disruption for southbound drivers with one lane closed while the blaze was extinguished.
