Motorists are facing two-hour delays on the M6 in Cheshire this morning (Thursday, July 9) after overnight roadworks overran their scheduled end time and an earlier crash caused lane closures. National Highways reported that three lanes between junction 20 (M56 J9, Lymm Interchange) and junction 21 (A57 Manchester Road, Woolston) southbound were closed due to roadworks that had not finished by 6am. Although all lanes have now reopened, there are still six miles of congestion and delays of around two hours.
Overnight Roadworks Cause Major Disruption
In a post on X at 6:40am, National Highways stated: "The #M6 in #Cheshire southbound between J21A-J21 has lanes 2,3 and 4 (of 4) closed due to roadworks that have over ran their pre-agreed end time of 6am. Lane closures are in the process of being removed." The post added that delays were in excess of 120 minutes with six miles of congestion. The roadworks were originally scheduled to end at 6am but overran, causing mile-long queues to build up during the morning rush hour.
Earlier Crash on Northbound Carriageway
An earlier crash on the northbound carriageway also contributed to the disruption. The incident "partially blocked" the motorway between junction 20 and junction 21, but all lanes have since reopened. Traffic on the northbound side is now easing, although residual delays may persist as the southbound congestion continues to affect overall flow.
Live Updates and Ongoing Delays
Motorway cameras show long delays on the M6 Thelwall Viaduct southbound from junction 21A (M62 J10, Croft Interchange) to junction 21. Emergency repairs are taking place between these junctions, causing partial blockage and long queues back to junction 23 at Haydock. National Highways continues to monitor the situation, and drivers are advised to allow extra travel time or seek alternative routes. The Liverpool ECHO is providing live updates on its blog.
