Staffordshire link road between M54 and M6 still closed after fire involving lorry carrying toilet roll

Staffordshire County Council had to close the A460 Cannock Road near Featherstone between M6 Junction 11 and M54 Junction 1 after a HGV fire yesterday morning (September 10).

Crews from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service tackled the fire, supported by Staffordshire Police, the Environment Agency and National Highways.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported but the blaze did cause considerable damage to the carriageway surface.

Now, the county council's highways crews are working to resurface the damaged section of road and hope to reopen the route later today.

Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet member for strategic highways, said: “I'm relieved to hear no one was hurt in the fire, but we know the closure will be causing disruption for people travelling through Featherstone.

“Our crews are working quickly to repair the damage to the road and get the route safely reopened as soon as possible.

“We’re hoping to have the route back open today, and I’d like to thank everyone for their patience while our teams make the road safe again.”

Emergency services rushed to the blocked A-road, which connects the M54 and M6 north of Wolverhampton, after the fire brought traffic to a complete standstill.

Get the best local stories, straight to your inbox - subscribe to the E&S newsletter

A Staffordshire Police spokesperson said on Thursday: “A large HGV loaded with toilet rolls has caught fire and so for your safety we have closed Cannock Road (A460), the road between the M54 and M6, and access to and from connecting roads including Hilton Lane, New Lane and The Avenue.”

Police had warned that the fire would likely last hours and cause damage to the road surface.

The road is expected to reopen today.