M56 crash involving HGV and three cars causes major delays

The collision happened on the M56 eastbound between junctions 6 and 7, near Manchester Airport, at around 9.37am on Wednesday, September 16.

Cheshire Police confirmed that emergency services attended the scene and that no serious injuries were reported.

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: “At 9.37am on Wednesday, September 16, emergency services were called to reports of a multi-vehicle collision on the M56 eastbound carriageway between junctions 6 and 7.

“Officers attended and found there had been a collision between an HGV and three cars.

“There were no reports of any serious injuries, and the scene was cleared by 1.20pm.”

The incident led to the closure of all four lanes, with traffic brought to a standstill for around two hours.

National Highways reported delays of up to 60 minutes at the height of the disruption.

A spokesman for National Highways said: “Traffic is currently stopped on the M56 eastbound between J7 and J6 following a multi-vehicle collision.

“Emergency services are in attendance.

“There are delays of up to 60 minutes eastbound at the present time while the carriageway is blocked.”

By late morning, one lane had reopened to allow traffic to pass the scene, though lanes two, three, and four remained closed to allow for vehicle recovery.

Despite the partial reopening, drivers continued to face delays of up to 45 minutes.

All lanes were eventually reopened by 1.20pm.

A spokesman for National Highways posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “The M56 eastbound between J7 and J6.

“All lanes are now open.

“There are residual delays of 15 minutes on the approach.”

The incident caused significant disruption for motorists travelling towards Manchester and the airport, with many forced to seek alternative routes.