M56 crash J5 westbound

Crash on the M56 westbound at J5 on Monday 19 October 2026, from 13:59. Still reported at 16:51 UK time. Timeline of reports from the motorway signs and TomTom.

Status

Live since 13:59 (2 h 52 min)

Location

M56 westbound · J5

Reported as

Collision

Delay

~26 min

At its worst

Stationary traffic · delay ~104 min

Sources

Motorway signs ×4 · TomTom ×2

Timeline

1. 13:59 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF COLLISION”
2. 14:11 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~5 min
3. 14:13 Motorway signs: “COLLISION SLOW DOWN”
4. 14:13 Motorway signs: “COLLISION SLOW DOWN”
5. 14:16 TomTom: “Stationary traffic”
6. 14:28 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
7. 14:29 TomTom: delay now ~20 min (was ~12)
8. 14:34 TomTom: delay now ~14 min (was ~20)
9. 14:39 TomTom: delay now ~19 min (was ~14)
10. 14:40 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF COLLISION”
11. 14:43 TomTom: delay now ~104 min (was ~19)
12. 14:48 TomTom: delay now ~27 min (was ~104)
13. 14:52 TomTom: delay now ~17 min (was ~27)
14. 14:57 TomTom: delay now ~10 min (was ~17), “Queuing traffic”
15. 15:02 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
16. 15:11 Motorway signs no longer show “COLLISION SLOW DOWN”
17. 15:11 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
18. 15:11 Motorway signs no longer show “COLLISION SLOW DOWN”
19. 15:11 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~12 min
20. 15:15 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
21. 15:20 TomTom: “Stationary traffic”
22. 15:29 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
23. 15:34 TomTom: “Stationary traffic”

Source reports

• Overhead signs read “REPORT OF COLLISION” (1 sign; furthest along: link road from Manchester Airport to M56 J5 access).
• Slow traffic
• Overhead signs read “COLLISION SLOW DOWN” (3 signs; furthest along: M56 eastbound between J5 and J4).
• Overhead signs read “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION” (2 signs; furthest along: M56 westbound between J6 and J7).
• Overhead signs read “COLLISION SLOW DOWN” (1 sign; furthest along: link road from Manchester Airport to M56 J5 access).
• Stationary traffic

Other recent incidents on the M56

• M56 reported crash J3–J2 eastbound13:59 · cleared after 41 min
• M56 closed J5 westboundSat 19:38 · cleared after 12 h 25 min
• M56 stopped traffic J3–J2Fri 13:43 · cleared after 3 h 50 min
• M56 crash J10–J9Fri 12:47 · cleared after 1 h 10 min
• M56 crash J3–J4 westboundFri 04:41 · cleared after 1 h 38 min
• M56 stopped traffic J3AThu 18:16 · cleared after 32 min
• M56 stopped traffic J3–J2Thu 15:26 · cleared after 2 h 8 min
• M56 stopped traffic J3–J4 westboundWed 18:00 · cleared after 39 min
• M56 crash J3–J2 eastbound10 Oct 2026 16:31 · cleared after 1 h 14 min
• M56 crash J6–J7 westbound10 Oct 2026 10:51 · cleared after 53 min

The sources don't report causes or injuries, so neither does this page. Times are UK time. For alerts, follow @motorways.me on Bluesky.