M6 Junction 16 to Junction 17 (Crewe / Sandbach)
A long six-mile run through Cheshire between Junction 16 for Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent and Junction 17 for Sandbach and Congleton.
Live traffic speed flow: M6 Junctions 15 to 18
Untick all three to see just the speeds. We show the important overhead signs and the mandatory speed limits (red ring); see every overhead sign.
Go to our live M6 traffic speed flow map ›
NOTE: The speed flow, overhead sign messages or other information shown on our live traffic speed flow map is updated every few minutes. We cross check the data and aim to provide warnings if there could be a delay or an inaccurate speed reading. There can be occasions, beyond our control, and despite our best efforts where the speed flow could be inaccurate. We cannot therefore guarantee the speed you can expect on any stretch of the motorway is always accurately shown. However we hope you will find our live traffic speed flow map a useful tool in trying to plan your journey. Safe driving.
Refresh the page to see the latest speeds.
How Busy Is the M6 at Junction 16?
The Department for Transport counts traffic on this stretch of the M6 — from Junction 16 to Junction 17, a length of 6.1 miles. These are the 2025 figures.
| Measure | Per day |
|---|---|
| All motor vehicles | 132,457 |
| Cars and taxis | 89,621 |
| Lorries (HGVs) | 19,484 — 14.7% of all traffic |
| Length of this stretch | 6.1 miles |
© M6Traffic.co.uk · Statistics from the Department for Transport
That makes it the 13th busiest measured stretch by total traffic, and the 8th busiest for lorries. It is counted at 99 separate points along its length — see how busy the M6 is junction by junction.
What Our Own Records Show for This Stretch
National Highways' live speed readings for the stretch past Sandbach are patchy in the daytime, so we do not yet have enough of them to say how fast traffic moves here at rush hour; the table shows only the hours where we do. What our records do show is what was reported. Between 9 and 16 October 2026, National Highways reported four incidents southbound between Junctions 17 and 16, one collision and three broken-down vehicles, and two northbound between Junctions 16 and 17, a collision and a report of people in the road. Sandbach Services sits on this stretch, in both directions.
| Time of day | Northbound | Southbound | Minutes of stop-start (north / south) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight (00:00 to 06:00) | 58 mph (usual 59) | 56 mph (usual 59) | 0 / 30 |
| Morning peak (06:00 to 10:00) | Too few readings | Too few readings | 0 / 0 |
| Daytime (10:00 to 15:00) | Too few readings | Too few readings | 0 / 15 |
| Evening peak (15:00 to 19:00) | Too few readings | Too few readings | 0 / 0 |
| Evening (19:00 to midnight) | 61 mph (usual 61) | 58 mph (usual 60) | 0 / 0 |
© M6Traffic.co.uk · Our own record of National Highways’ live speed data (NTIS), Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026, averaged over the weekdays; “usual” is National Highways’ own expected speed for that hour. Stop-start means readings under 15 mph over at least 400 metres. One week of readings: we will add more weeks as they are collected.
Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.
Live traffic news at M6 Junctions 16 and 17
Incidents and roadworks between Junction 15 and Junction 18 that we are aware of.
M6 Southbound Lanes 1 2 and 3 closure (MP 280/2 to 275/1)
05:42 (5:42am)23 Oct 2026reported 9 min ago
- Location
- M6 southbound within J18
- Direction
- Southbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Roadworks
- Schedule
- 20:00 (8pm) Fri 23 Oct 2026 → 05:00 (5am) Sat 24 Oct 2026
Forecast - not confirmed
+ 6 more near Junctions 16 and 17 - see all the M6 traffic news →
This is the news for Junctions 16 and 17 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 05:52 (5:52am) Fri 23 Oct 2026