Overview
- The M61 southbound between J8 (Chorley) and J6 (Aspull) was the scene of a multi-vehicle collision that closed lane 3 and triggered vehicle recovery, National Highways said.
- National Highways reported approach delays of up to 30 minutes and about 3 miles of congestion before crews cleared the scene and all lanes were later reopened.
- Earlier incidents on Greater Manchester motorways caused heavy queues on the M60 anticlockwise and the M56 westbound on Monday, with Inrix and local live blogs reporting the M56 collision cleared and M60 traffic easing.
- Regional traffic-monitoring services and local outlets relayed live National Highways and Inrix updates to drivers, showing the step-by-step response of lane closures, recovery arrangements, and progressive clearance.
- Short-term disruption on these key commuter routes mainly affected motorists’ travel times, and the incidents illustrate how lane closures for vehicle recovery can produce multi-mile queues that ease once recovery work finishes.