M6 Junction 26: Orrell Interchange – M58 Orrell
Junction 26 of the M6, known as the Orrell Interchange, is where the M6 meets the M58, for Orrell. The nearest town is Wigan, about 2.9 miles to the east, with Skelmersdale (3 miles west) and Ashton-in-Makerfield (4 miles south-east) also close by. Villages right beside the junction include Orrell, Far Moor and Upholland.
Roads that meet at or beside this junction: M58, A571, A577, B5206, B5238. The main road at the junction is the M58.
The M58 runs west from here towards Liverpool and Southport.
From here, the drive north to junction 27 (Standish) is about 3.6 miles and the drive south to junction 25 (Bryn) is about 2.6 miles. Junction 26 is about 104 miles from the start of the M6 at junction 1 and 107 miles from the end at junction 45.
- Junction M6 J26 · Orrell Interchange
- Signed for M58 · Orrell (M58 to Liverpool & Southport)
- Nearest town Wigan, 2.9 miles east
- Map section Section 5: J21A–J32, Wigan to Preston
Live traffic at M6 junction 26
The speed strip below shows the M6 from junction 24 to junction 28, both directions, from National Highways’ live data, checked every five minutes.
Live traffic speed flow: M6 Junctions 24 to 28
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How busy is the M6 at junction 26?
The Department for Transport counts traffic on the stretches either side of this junction. On the stretch it labels J25 to J26 it counted 113,045 vehicles a day in 2025, 11% of them lorries. On the stretch it labels J26 to J27 it counted 113,042 vehicles a day in 2025, 11% of them lorries. See how busy the M6 is junction by junction.
| Stretch (DfT label) | All vehicles a day | Lorries | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| J25 to J26 | 113,045 | 12,121 (10.7%) | 2.7 |
| J26 to J27 | 113,042 | 12,289 (10.9%) | 4.2 |
© M6Traffic.co.uk · Statistics from the Department for Transport, 2025
Junctions either side
- J25Bryn InterchangeA49 · Bryn / WiganNearest town: Ashton-in-Makerfield, 1.4 miles
- J27Shevington InterchangeA5209 · Standish / ShevingtonNearest town: Wigan, 3.9 miles
Live traffic news at M6 Junction 26
This is the news for Junction 26 only, not the whole M6. For the rest of the motorway see all the latest M6 traffic news, the overhead signs and the speed limits in force now.
Updated 00:47 Mon 5 Oct 2026