Latest M6 traffic news, updates & roadworks

M6 Traffic

Latest M6 Traffic News

1Accidentsreported on the M6 — see details3Roadworks activelive on the M6 right now — see details46Plannedscheduled on the M6 — see details

Live M6 traffic data from National Highways · updated 20:12 Wed 16 Sept 2026

M6

Latest M6 Traffic News & M6 Traffic Reports

This page brings together the latest M6 traffic news — current incidents, accidents, road closures, lane closures and planned roadworks along the M6 motorway, refreshed throughout the day. Check here before you travel to plan your route and avoid the worst of the queues.

50 matching items - showing 1-10 of 50 total available news items

  • M6 Northbound and Southbound mobile hardshoulder closure (MP 290/5 - 346/6)

    Active nowUpdateNorthbound
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    M6 southbound between J23 and J22
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Hard shoulder closed
    Reason
    Sweeping of road
    Schedule
    20:35 Sun 5 Apr 2026 → 23:59 Fri 31 Mar 2028
    ⏳Long-term works - HA planned end: 23:59 Fri 31 Mar 2028.

  • M6 Southbound Jct 41 entry slip road Lane 1 closure

    Active nowRoadworksNorthbound Slip road closed
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    M6 northbound between J41 and J42
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Slip road closed
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    20:00 Sat 18 July 2026 → 06:00 Tue 31 Dec 2030
    ⏳Long-term works - HA planned end: 06:00 Tue 31 Dec 2030.

  • M6 - M42 link road hardshoulder closure northbound

    Active nowRoadworksNorthbound
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    link road from M6 J4A southbound to M42 J8
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Hard shoulder closed
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    05:00 Mon 7 Sept 2026 → 05:00 Mon 5 Oct 2026
    ⏳Long-term works - HA planned end: 05:00 Mon 5 Oct 2026.

  • M6 Southbound to M62 Eastbound link road hard shoulder closure

    Active nowRoadworksSouthbound
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    M62 eastbound between J10 and J11
    Direction
    Southbound
    Lanes closed
    Hard shoulder closed
    Reason
    Roadworks
    Schedule
    06:00 Thu 3 Sept 2026 → 06:00 Sat 26 Sept 2026
    ⏳Long-term works - HA planned end: 06:00 Sat 26 Sept 2026.

  • M6 Northbound Jct 37 to 38 Lane 1 closure (Mp 428/8 - 430/7)

    PlannedRoadworksNorthbound
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    M6 northbound between J37 and J38
    Direction
    Northbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Road improvement or upgrading
    Schedule
    19:00 Wed 16 Sept 2026 → 05:00 Thu 17 Sept 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 19:00 Wed 16 Sept 2026 → 05:00 Thu 17 Sept 2026 underway until 05:00 Thu 17 Sept 2026

  • M6 Southbound Jct 40 to 39 Lane 3 closure with Narrow lanes (Mp 459/4 - 455/7)

    PlannedRoadworksSouthbound
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    M6 southbound between J40 and J39
    Direction
    Southbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Maintenance work
    Schedule
    06:00 Tue 2 June 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 06:00 Tue 2 June 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026 underway until 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

  • M6 Southbound Jct 40 to 39 Lane 3 closure with Narrow lanes (Mp 459/4 - 455/7)

    PlannedRoadworksSouthbound
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    M6 southbound within J40
    Direction
    Southbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Maintenance work
    Schedule
    06:00 Mon 24 Aug 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 06:00 Mon 24 Aug 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026 underway until 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

  • M6 Southbound Jct 40 to 39 Lane 3 closure with Narrow lanes (Mp 459/4 - 455/7)

    PlannedRoadworksSouthbound
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    M6 southbound within J40
    Direction
    Southbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Maintenance work
    Schedule
    06:00 Mon 15 June 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 06:00 Mon 15 June 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026 underway until 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

  • M6 Southbound Jct 40 to 39 Lane 3 closure with Narrow lanes (Mp 459/4 - 455/7)

    PlannedRoadworksSouthbound
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    M6 southbound between J40 and J39
    Direction
    Southbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Maintenance work
    Schedule
    06:00 Mon 15 June 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 06:00 Mon 15 June 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026 underway until 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

  • M6 Southbound Jct 40 to 39 Lane 3 closure with Narrow lanes (Mp 459/4 - 455/7)

    PlannedRoadworksSouthbound
    Time now: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 20:12

    20:1116 Sept 2026reported just now

    Location
    M6 southbound within J40
    Direction
    Southbound
    Lanes closed
    Lane closures
    Reason
    Maintenance work
    Schedule
    06:00 Mon 24 Aug 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

    Forecast - not confirmed

    🚧HA scheduled: 06:00 Mon 24 Aug 2026 → 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026 underway until 20:00 Fri 13 Nov 2026

    • Updated 20:12 Wed 16 Sept 2026

    Powered by National Highways’ Transport Data Feeds.

    For a specific type of report, see M6 Roadworks or M6 Accidents & Incidents, or find your junction on the M6 junction map.

    How to read this page

    Reports are listed newest first, and the page is rebuilt through the day as the official feed changes. Each item carries the road, the junctions affected, the direction where it is known, and the times National Highways has published for it.

    An empty page is good news, not a broken one. It means there is nothing currently reported that we are aware of. Because incidents can be reported late, cleared before they are logged, or missed altogether, that is not a guarantee of a clear run — but it is the best picture available, and it is the same picture the official sources have.

    How busy is the M6 anyway?

    Delays are worse on a road that is already full. The Department for Transport counts traffic on the M6 at 99 separate points, and the numbers explain a good deal about where the M6 goes wrong first:

    StretchVehicles per dayLorries
    J20 to J21 (Lymm / Thelwall)187,52123,492
    J8 to J9 (Great Barr)180,44031,213
    J30 to J31 (Preston)171,07914,168
    J9 to J10 (Bescot)166,15327,805

    More than one vehicle in six is a lorry on the busiest stretches — and a broken-down HGV in a live lane takes far longer to clear than a car. See M6 traffic statistics, the M6 junction by junction, or M6 lorry and freight traffic.

    Going one way?

    You are not driving both carriageways at once. See M6 northbound traffic or M6 southbound traffic, or pick your stretch from the M6 junction pages.

    Traffic count figures are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

    M6traffic.co.uk is dedicated to the latest M6 traffic news, checked every five minutes, 24 hours a day. Heading for Manchester? See M60 Traffic for Manchester’s orbital motorway. The M6 meets the M5 near Birmingham — see M5 Traffic.