Drivers faced huge delays after a lorry overturned and spilt 20,000 litres of milk all over the motorway, closing it for a number of hours on Sunday (July 2).
At around 7am, police said a milk tanker, that was travelling on the M6 northbound, had collided with the central reservation before flipping over onto its side on the southbound carriageway.
Around 20,000 litres of milk, as well as diesel, spilled out over both carriageways, closing the motorway throughout the day and causing travel chaos on nearby roads and motorways, including the M55 and M61, as others reportedly became trapped within closures for over three hours.
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Two people, a man and a woman, the driver and a passenger, were taken to hospital from the scene for treatment. Further details about their condition are not known.
Delays throughout the day increased on the M6, with diversions put in place. National Highways shared images following the collision, before the huge tanker was recovered on Sunday afternoon.
Passengers trapped in heavy congestion took to social media, with many commenting they had been waiting in traffic for more than three hours. One person claimed their son was stuck on the M55 trying to get to a hospital appointment.
@steabb73 tweeted: "My son is in a car going to hospital at preston to see a plastic surgeon due to a 2 inch gash on his face . He’s been stuck on the m55 for 2 hours now . This isn’t good . Advice pls."
@BrianONazareth said: "3 hours, so far, to go less than 3 miles on the M55 near Preston. An overturned milk lorry across the central reservation on the M6 is the cause, apparently."
As @Gustavo03916302 wrote: "During to the closing of the M6, it took us 3 hours to get 40 miles" and @ladoink tweeted: "My husband had been stuck on northbound M6 near Preston for over 2 hours now along with many others."
@djgibson1980 added: "Stuck on the M61 to get onto the M6 for over 3 hours."
The Environment Agency also announced they were at the scene of the collision to 'assess the impact' of the incident to 'ensure we continue to protect people and the environment'.
The Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service also confirmed they were called out to the scene of the incident and confirmed that around 20,000 litres of milk had been spilled.
On Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson said: "Two fire engines from Preston and Fleetwood are at the scene and the hazardous materials unit and its support fire engine from South Shore. A multi-agency meeting has taken place and firefighters are assisting partner agencies with cleaning the north and southbound carriageways using hose reels."
And on Sunday morning, Chief Inspector Patrick Worden, of Lancashire Police, said: “At this time we expect the motorway to be closed for some if not most of the day. The tanker needs to be recovered and due to the large scale milk and diesel spillage, the motorway surface treated appropriately.
“We expect this to cause significant delays and I would advise motorists to make plans for alternate routes."
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