Commuters faced significant disruption on the M6 motorway this morning following a serious multi-vehicle collision that brought the northbound carriageway to a standstill near Birmingham.
Chaotic Scenes on the Motorway
The incident occurred on the M6 northbound within the vicinity of Junction 9, which serves the areas of Wednesbury and Walsall in the Black Country. The collision involved multiple vehicles and prompted an immediate emergency response.
Lane Closures and Severe Congestion
In the aftermath of the crash, National Highways: West Midlands confirmed that lanes 2 and 3 of the three-lane carriageway were closed to facilitate recovery operations. This partial closure led to extensive traffic build-up, with congestion stretching back approximately two miles towards Junction 8 with the M5 and even affecting traffic as far back as Junction 7 at Great Barr and the M5 Junction 1 at West Bromwich and Birmingham.
West Midlands Police temporarily held traffic to allow for the safe removal of the damaged vehicles from the scene. Traffic officers were deployed to manage the situation, although their efforts were hampered by slow-moving traffic caused by onlookers on the opposite carriageway.
Recovery and Reopening
National Highways provided updates via social media platform X, initially alerting drivers to the closures and advising them to allow extra travel time. Later, they confirmed that all lanes had been reopened, but warned that traffic flow would remain slow as congestion gradually eased.
Traffic data monitor Inrix reported that the long delays had eventually cleared, but noted that residual slowdowns persisted southbound due to rubbernecking. The organisation stated that the earlier accident had occurred between Junction 8 of the M5 and Junction 9 at the A461 Wood Green Road in Wednesbury.
Impact on Morning Commute
The collision plunged the morning rush hour into chaos, with tailbacks extending for several miles. Drivers were urged to plan alternative routes or allow substantial additional journey time while the situation normalised. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of major transport arteries during peak travel periods.
