M6 Traffic News
The M6 motorway spans over 230 miles in length and covers the Midlands, through to the north of the UK, and upwards into the Scottish border.
The M6 starts at Junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby, and then routes around Birmingham, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent and between Liverpool and Manchester. It goes past Preston, Morecambe and into Carlisle before ending at Gretna, in Scotland, and connecting to the A74(M). It connects to major junctions the M56 and M62.
The M6 covers several counties - Leicestershire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria.
The M6 also includes the infamous Spaghetti Junction, officially junction 6 of the motorway, which is a particularly complex junction. Viewed from above it looks like a crisscross of roads and interchanges. Junction 6 meets the A38 Aston Expressway in the Gravelly Hill area of Birmingham.
Worst Junctions on the M6
Throughout the route of the motorway there are several junctions likely to cause delays, so before starting a journey make sure you check for the latest M6 travel news and M6 traffic updates. The following junctions are common hotspots:
Junction 7 - Great Barr Interchange
Junction 7 is where the M6 connects to the A34, which is the main road between Birmingham and Walsall. There is heavy traffic flow here and the merging of slip roads to the roundabout causes issues.
Junction 26 - Orrell Interchange
This junction connects to the M58 and sees traffic moving to and from Wigan and Liverpool. Congestion is not helped by the fact that the roundabout reduces from three lanes to two on approach.
Junction 15 - Hanchurch Interchange
The Hanchurch Interchange routes M6 traffic to the A500 towards Stoke on Trent, but flow is slowed by both a roundabout and a set of traffic lights.
M6 Toll
The M6 Toll is often viewed as an inconvenience. It’s not particularly busy, used by less than 50,000 motorists a day, but slowing to pay a toll can still lead to queues.
Accident Hotspots on the M6
The 20-mile stretch of motorway between junctions 16 and 19 of the M6 is considered an accident blackspot. This is the section of the motorway that runs between Crewe and Knutsford.
If you’re planning to travel on this part of the motorway, check M6 travel news before and during your journey to stay aware of any potential delays and problems.
Upcoming M6 Major Roadworks
Because of the size and importance of the M6, there are regular roadworks and plans for improvements. Check any journey using the RAC Route Planner and note any M6 traffic updates to avoid getting caught up in roadworks and delays.
For up-to-date information about upcoming roadworks on the M6, please visit the National Highways website, or look up a specific postcode on the local council website.
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