Multiple Crashes Snarl M6, M61 Traffic in Lancashire

A series of collisions has brought traffic to a standstill on major sections of the M6 and M61 motorways in Lancashire on Christmas Eve, December 24, disrupting holiday travel for thousands of drivers. Emergency services responded to at least three incidents reported throughout the day, leading to closures, long queues, and warnings of extended journey times across the region.

The most recent disruption occurred in the evening on the M6 northbound carriageway between Junction 32 for the M55 Broughton Interchange and Junction 33 for Lancaster South Garstang. The collision was first reported shortly after 5 p.m., prompting authorities to temporarily hold all traffic. According to traffic monitoring service Inrix, "All traffic being temporarily held and queueing traffic due to accident on M6 Northbound between J32 M55 Broughton Interchange and J33 A6 Preston Lancaster Road Lancaster South Garstang." Delays quickly built up, with reports of tailbacks stretching north of Preston. One driver at the scene shared an image of the standstill, noting the crash had just occurred between Preston and Lancaster. By late evening, the northbound section remained closed, exacerbating congestion...