M6 and M61 gridlocked as Friday getaway traffic hits Preston
Delays have been reported in both directions on the 15-mile stretch of motorway this afternoon...
The M6 and M61 is gridlocked around Preston this afternoon, while roadworks in Garstang Road are adding to the city’s traffic woes.
M6 'blocked' at Preston
Delays on the M6 southbound at Preston are due to an ‘obstruction’ on the carriageway.
National Highways say one lane is partially blocked causing slow traffic between junction 33 (A6 Preston Lancaster Road (Lancaster South / Garstang) and J32 M55 (Broughton Interchange).
Emergency repairs cause further delays
Travel on the M6 southbound is also being affected by emergency repairs taking place from Standish to Wigan.
One lane was closed earlier this afternoon, causing queueing traffic from J27 (Standish) to J26 M58 (Orrell Interchange).
The repairs have been completed and all lanes are now open.
Northbound delays
Drivers are also facing northbound delays of up to 20 minutes between junctions 28 at Leyland and 32 at Broughton, where the M6 meets the M55.
National Highways have not reported any crashes or other incidents at this stage, but the heavy traffic might be due to families heading towards the Lake District for the weekend.
Northbound congestion appears to be particularly heavy where the M6 and M61 meet at junction 30 at Bamber Bridge.