Overview
- A lorry carrying about 70 tonnes of hay caught fire shortly after 7pm on Tuesday on the M54 westbound between Junction 3 (Cosford) and Junction 4 (Telford).
- Shropshire Fire and Rescue crews extinguished the blaze using four hose-reel jets and one main jet with multiple fire appliances in attendance.
- National Highways West Midlands says the carriageway remains closed while recovery and clean-up crews work and emergency resurfacing is carried out.
- A signed diversion sends westbound traffic off at J3 via the A41, then along the A5 and A4640 to rejoin the M54 at J4, and delays have eased from around 44 minutes at peak to roughly 10 minutes and one mile of congestion this morning.
- Hay fires generate intense heat that can damage road surfaces, which explains the need for emergency resurfacing and means the closure will remain until repairs are complete so motorists should plan alternative routes or expect continued disruption.