M56 stopped traffic J3–J4 westbound

Cleared Cleared at 09:35 on 6 Oct 2026, after 17 h 44 min.

Stopped traffic on the M56 westbound at J3–J4 on Monday 5 October 2026, from 15:51. Cleared at 09:35 after 17 h 44 min. Timeline of reports from TomTom and the motorway signs.

1. B

   M56 westbound · J3–J4

   Broken-down vehicle

   Mon 15:51–Tue 09:35 (cleared after 17 h 44 min) · delay ~3 min · queue 3.8 mi

   TomTom ×2 · Motorway signs

At its worst: stationary traffic · delay ~26 min

See the M56 on the live map M56 traffic now

Timeline

1. Mon 15:51 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~3 min
2. Mon 15:55 TomTom no longer reports it
3. Mon 15:55 All clear: no source reports it any more
4. Mon 15:56 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~4 min (reported again)
5. Mon 16:00 TomTom no longer reports it
6. Mon 16:19 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~10 min (reported again)
7. Mon 17:27 TomTom: delay now ~16 min (was ~26)
8. Mon 17:41 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
9. Mon 17:48 Motorway signs: “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW”
10. Mon 17:55 TomTom no longer reports it
11. Mon 17:55 All clear: no source reports it any more
12. Mon 18:54 Motorway signs no longer show “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW”
13. Mon 18:54 All clear: no source reports it any more
14. Tue 07:31 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~5 min (reported again)
15. Tue 07:49 TomTom: delay now ~16 min (was ~8), “Slow traffic”
16. Tue 07:58 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
17. Tue 08:03 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
18. Tue 08:08 TomTom: delay now ~20 min (was ~14), “Queuing traffic”
19. Tue 08:40 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~9 min
20. Tue 08:40 TomTom: delay now ~7 min (was ~17)
21. Tue 08:44 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
22. Tue 09:07 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
23. Tue 09:16 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
24. Tue 09:21 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
25. Tue 09:35 TomTom no longer reports it
26. Tue 09:35 All clear: no source reports it any more

What the sources said

• Slow traffic
• Overhead signs read “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW” (1 sign; furthest along: M56 westbound between J3 and J4).

Other recent incidents on the M56

• M56 crash J3–J2 eastbound · Sat 16:31, cleared after 1 h 14 min
• M56 crash J6–J7 westbound · Sat 10:51, cleared after 53 min
• M56 reported crash J4–J5 westbound · 8 Oct 2026 06:07, cleared after 47 min
• M56 stopped traffic J5–J6 westbound · 3 Oct 2026 01:05, cleared after 248 h 43 min
• M56 crash J15–J14 eastbound · 29 Sept 2026 16:17, cleared after 1 h 56 min
• M56 stopped traffic J14–J15 · 28 Sept 2026 15:43, cleared after 2 h 32 min
• M56 stopped traffic J14–J15 · 27 Sept 2026 14:29, cleared after 2 h 50 min
• M56 crash J6–J5 eastbound · 26 Sept 2026 11:32, cleared after 57 min
• M56 reported crash J5 westbound · 26 Sept 2026 11:32, cleared after 44 min
• M56 crash J7–J6 eastbound · 26 Sept 2026 09:16, cleared after 329 h 26 min

About this page

This page shows what the data sources reported about this event and when, merged from every source that reported it at the same place. It doesn't say what caused it or whether anyone was hurt: no source reports that. Times are UK time. For live alerts, follow @motorways.me on Bluesky.