Latest live M6 traffic news
Live M6 traffic news and updates for M6 junctions, plus real time travel reports on delays, accidents, roadworks and snow
The M6 is a key road for Britain, as the motorway links the Midlands with the Scottish border, sending traffic through Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Liverpool, Manchester, Lancaster and Carlisle. And given the M6’s location at the centre of Britain’s motorway network, it should be no surprise that the 232-mile road is prone to delays around the clock – especially during peak travel periods such as bank holiday weekends and summer school holidays.
As the M6 consists of the standard three lanes for much of its length, congestion and tailbacks can form quickly, and subsequently incidents can take a long time to clear. So everything including accidents, roadworks, and even seasonal problems such as snow, can have a severe effect on adjoining roads.
Just like most other major motorways, the morning and evening rush hours are usually the worst times for delays, and hold-ups on the M6 can scupper commutes and long journeys. So if you’re planning to use any section of the M6, this page is one of the most useful travel companions with travel alerts, live updates and an incident map for both northbound and southbound lanes.
Scroll down to find real-time alerts from the M6 via our specially built Twitter feed, which collates vital updates as they happen from the Highways Agency, official police accounts and other traffic news feeds. We’ve also got a live map showing exactly where the delays are, plus a useful list of all the motorway’s junctions...
Live M6 Traffic Updates
M6 live traffic map
You’re never far from a traffic jam on the M6 motorway, but fortunately you can keep one step ahead of the delays with our live and continuously updated M6 traffic map.
The map below shows live updates on the current problem areas of the M6 for roadworks, accidents or general congestion causing delays on the road...
M6 weather report
Details of the latest weather warnings in the M6 area from the Met Office...
The history of the M6 motorway
Among its many claims to fame, the M6 incorporates Britain’s first ever stretch of motorway – formally known as the Preston By-pass, which was opened in 1958. Nowadays that’s just a fraction of the M6 overall, which stretches for 232 miles from Junction 19 of the M1 near Rugby, all the way to Gretna. The final section was finally completed in 2008.
Features of the route include Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham, which is more formally known as Junction 6 of the M6. The M6 also boasts the longest viaduct in Britain, running for 3.5 miles between Castle Bromwich and Gravelly Hill, and the second highest motorway stretch in the country – the Shap Fell section is 320m above sea-level, and beaten only by the M62 motorway at Saddleworth Moor.
M6 junctions
All of the M6 junctions on the southbound and northbound carriageways are detailed below...
| Northbound exits | Junction | Southbound exits | ||
| Gretna (Green) B7076 Longtown A6071 | M6 J45 | No access | ||
| Todhills Rest Area | Services | Todhills Rest Area | ||
| Carlisle (North), Galashiels, Hawick A7 | J44 | Carlisle A7, Workington (A595) Hexham A689 | ||
| Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle A69 | J43 | Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle A69 | ||
| Carlisle (South) A6 | J42 | Carlisle (South) A6 | ||
| Southwaite services | Services | Southwaite services | ||
| Wigton B5305 | J41 | Wigton B5305 | ||
| Penrith, Workington, Keswick, Scotch Corner A66 | J40 | Penrith, Keswick, Brough, Scotch Corner A66 | ||
| Shap (A6) | J39 | Shap, Kendal (A6) | ||
| Tebay services | Services | Tebay services | ||
| Brough A685 Appleby B6260 | J38 | Kendal, Brough A685 | ||
| Kendal, Sedbergh A684 | J37 | Kendal, Sedbergh A684 | ||
| No access | Services | Killington Lake services | ||
| Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton A65 Kendal, Barrow-in-Furness A590 | J36 | Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton A65 Barrow-in-Furness A590 | ||
| Burton-in-Kendal services | Services | No access | ||
| Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6) | J35 | Carnforth, Morecambe A601(M) (A6) | ||
| Lancaster, Morecambe, Kirkby Lonsdale,Heysham A683 | J34 | Lancaster, Morecambe A683 | ||
| Lancaster (South) A6 | J33 | Garstang, Fleetwood A6 | ||
| Lancaster (Forton) services | Services | Lancaster (Forton) services | ||
| Blackpool, Fleetwood M55, Preston (North), Garstang A6 | J32 | Blackpool M55, Preston (North) A6 | ||
| Preston (East), Longridge B6242 | J31A | No access | ||
| Preston (Central), Blackburn (North),Clitheroe A59 | J31 | Preston (Central), Clitheroe A59 | ||
| No access | J30 | Manchester, Bolton M61 Leeds (M62) Blackburn (M65) | ||
| Burnley, Blackburn, Preston (South) M65 | J29 | Burnley, Blackburn M65 | ||
| Leyland B5256 (A49) | J28 | Leyland B5256 (A49) | ||
| Charnock Richard services | Services | Charnock Richard services | ||
| Parbold, Standish, Chorley A5209 | J27 | Parbold, Wigan A5209 | ||
| Wigan A577 Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Southport M58 | J26 | Wigan A577 St Helens Liverpool Southport(M58) Kirkby, Fazakerley (M57) | ||
| Wigan A49 | J25 | No access | ||
| No access | J24 | Ashton-in-Makerfield, St. HelensA58 | ||
| Haydock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, St Helens, Manchester, Liverpool, Newton-le-WillowsA580 | J23 | Haydock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, St Helens, Manchester, Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows A580 | ||
| Newton-le-Willows A49 Leigh A579 | J22 | Warrington A49 | ||
| Manchester, Leeds M62 | J21A | Liverpool, Southport M62 | ||
| Warrington, Irlam A57 | J21 | Warrington, Irlam A57 | ||
| No access | J20 | Macclesfield, Warrington A50 | ||
| No access | J20A | North Wales, Chester, Runcorn, Manchester & AirportM56 | ||
| North Wales, Chester, Runcorn M56 | J20 | No access | ||
| Manchester & Airport, Stockport A556 (M56 east) | J19 | Northwich, Knutsford,Macclesfield A556 | ||
| Knutsford services (Sign Posted No HGVs use Poplar 2000 Services (Lymm), but HGV fuel pumps and a small HGV parking area are provided) | Services | Knutsford services | ||
| Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, Winsford, Northwich, Chester A54 | J18 | Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, Winsford A54 | ||
| Congleton, Sandbach A534 | J17 | Congleton, Sandbach A534 | ||
| Sandbach services | Services | Sandbach services | ||
| Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Nantwich A500 | J16 | Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Nantwich A500 | ||
| Keele services | Services | Keele services | ||
| Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme A500 | J15 | Stoke-on-Trent, Stone, EccleshallA500 Derby (A50) | ||
| Stafford services | Services | Stafford services | ||
| Stafford, Stone, Eccleshall A34 | J14 | Stafford (North) A34 | ||
| Stafford A449 | J13 | Stafford (South & Central) A449 | ||
| Telford A5 | J12 | Cannock, Wolverhampton A5, North Wales, Telford (M54) | ||
| No access | J11A | The South, Lichfield M6 Toll | ||
| (M6 Toll), Cannock A460 | J11 | Wolverhampton A460 | ||
| Hilton Park services | Services | Hilton Park services | ||
| North Wales, Wolverhampton, Telford M54 | J10A | No access | ||
| Walsall, Wolverhampton A454 | J10 | Walsall A454 | ||
| Wednesbury A461 | J9 | Wednesbury A461 | ||
| The South West, Birmingham (West),West Bromwich M5 | J8 | The South West, Birmingham, West Bromwich M5 | ||
| Birmingham (NW), Walsall A34 | J7 | Birmingham A34 | ||
| Birmingham (Central & North) A38(M) Sutton Coldfield A5127 | J6 | Birmingham A38(M) & A38 | ||
| Birmingham (NE), Castle Bromwich A452 | J5 | No access | ||
| No access | J4A | The North (M1), Tamworth M42(N), M6 Toll The SOUTH, London (M40), Birmingham (S), N.E.C. & Airport M42 (S) | ||
| Lichfield, Coleshill A446, The South west (M5) Birmingham (South), Solihull M42(S) | J4 | Coventry, Birmingham Airport,NEC A446 | ||
| The North west (M6 Toll), TamworthM42(N) | J3A | No access | ||
| Corley services | Services | Corley services | ||
| Coventry (North), Nuneaton A444,Bedworth B4113 | J3 | Coventry (North), NuneatonA444, Bedworth B4113 | ||
| Coventry A46 Leicester M69 (M1) | J2 | Coventry (East) A46, Leicester,Hinckley M69 (M1(N)) | ||
| Rugby A426 | J1 | Rugby, Lutterworth A426 | ||
| No access | M1 J19 | Felixstowe, Corby, Kettering A14,Birmingham, Leicester M1(North), London, Northampton M1 (South) | ||
Planning on going cross country as well? Then you better take a look at our M62 live updates page also...
