M6 crash J3 southbound

Crash on the M6 southbound at J3 on Monday 9 November 2026, from 05:26. Cleared at 09:32 after 4 h 6 min. Timeline of reports from the motorway signs, TomTom and National Highways.

Status

Cleared 09:32 on 9 Nov 2026, after 4 h 6 min

Location

M6 southbound · J3

Reported as

Collision

Lanes

Road closed

At its worst

Stationary traffic

Sources

Motorway signs ×8 · TomTom ×10 · National Highways ×7

Timeline

1. 05:26 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
2. 06:01 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
3. 06:01 All clear: no source reports it any more
4. 06:16 Motorway signs: “COLLISION”
5. 06:17 National Highways: 2 of 5 lanes closed
6. 06:29 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~26 min
7. 06:33 TomTom: delay now ~36 min (was ~26)
8. 06:39 National Highways: 2 of 5 lanes closed
9. 06:47 TomTom: now says collision, “Stationary traffic, Accident”
10. 06:52 TomTom: delay now ~59 min (was ~45)
11. 06:52 TomTom: road closed
12. 07:01 TomTom: now says queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”
13. 07:02 Motorway signs: “M6 J3A-J3 COLLISION”
14. 07:10 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~51 min (reported again)
15. 07:10 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~4 min
16. 07:15 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
17. 07:17 National Highways: 3 of 5 lanes closed (was 2)
18. 07:19 TomTom: delay now ~89 min (was ~56)
19. 07:24 TomTom: delay now ~150 min (was ~89)
20. 07:24 TomTom: collision, “Stationary traffic, Accident”, delay ~12 min
21. 07:26 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF COLLISION”
22. 07:28 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~41 min
23. 07:28 TomTom: delay now ~56 min (was ~12)
24. 07:33 TomTom: delay now ~61 min (was ~41)
25. 07:33 TomTom: delay now ~34 min (was ~56)
26. 07:37 National Highways: 1 of 4 lanes closed
27. 07:37 TomTom: now says queueing traffic, delay now ~111 min (was ~34), “Stationary traffic”
28. 07:42 TomTom: delay now ~59 min (was ~111)
29. 07:42 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~5 min
30. 07:42 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~3 min
31. 07:47 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
32. 07:47 National Highways: 1 of 5 lanes closed (was 3)
33. 07:51 National Highways: lane closure lifted
34. 08:00 Motorway signs: “STRANDED VEHICLE”
35. 08:00 National Highways: 1 of 4 lanes closed
36. 08:01 Motorway signs no longer show “COLLISION”
37. 08:01 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF COLLISION”
38. 08:09 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~3 min
39. 08:14 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic, Hard shoulder closed”, delay ~4 min
40. 08:23 Motorway signs: “OBSTRUCTION ON SLIP ROAD”
41. 08:23 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~5 min (reported again)
42. 08:27 National Highways: lane closure lifted
43. 08:28 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
44. 08:28 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~3 min (reported again)
45. 08:32 TomTom: delay now ~7 min (was ~12)
46. 08:37 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~3 min
47. 08:40 Motorway signs no longer show “M6 J3A-J3 COLLISION”
48. 08:41 TomTom: “Stationary traffic”
49. 08:46 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
50. 08:48 Motorway signs: “STRANDED VEHICLE”
51. 08:48 National Highways: 1 of 4 lanes closed
52. 08:50 Motorway signs: “COLLISION”
53. 08:50 National Highways: 1 of 4 lanes closed
54. 08:59 National Highways: lane closure lifted
55. 09:00 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
56. 09:01 Motorway signs no longer show “STRANDED VEHICLE”
57. 09:01 Motorway signs no longer show “OBSTRUCTION ON SLIP ROAD”
58. 09:10 TomTom no longer reports it
59. 09:27 National Highways: lane closure lifted
60. 09:32 Motorway signs no longer show “STRANDED VEHICLE”
61. 09:32 Motorway signs no longer show “COLLISION”
62. 09:32 All clear: no source reports it any more

Source reports

• Overhead signs read “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION” (2 signs; furthest along: M6 northbound between J3 and J3A).
• Stationary traffic
• Overhead signs read “COLLISION” (2 signs; furthest along: M6 southbound between M6 Toll and J3).
• M6 southbound between M6 Toll and J3
• Closed
• Slow traffic
• Overhead signs read “REPORT OF COLLISION” (18 signs; furthest along: M6 northbound between J3A and J4).
• Overhead signs read “M6 J3A-J3 COLLISION” (2 signs; e.g. M6 southbound between J13 and J12). Marker placed near M6 J3A–J3 using the signs there, so it is approximate.
• Slow traffic, Hard shoulder closed
• M6 northbound between J3 and J3A
• Overhead signs read “STRANDED VEHICLE” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 southbound between J4 and M6 Toll).
• Overhead signs read “OBSTRUCTION ON SLIP ROAD” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 southbound between M6 Toll and J3).
• M6 Toll southbound between M42 and M6
• Overhead signs read “STRANDED VEHICLE” (2 signs; furthest along: M6 southbound between M6 Toll and J3).
• Overhead signs read “COLLISION” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 northbound between J2 and J3).
• M6 northbound between J2 and J3

Other recent incidents on the M6

• M6 stopped traffic J18 southbound15:39 · Live
• M6 delays J9–J10 northbound12:30 · Live
• M6 crash J11–J10A southbound11:26 · cleared after 1 h 18 min
• M6 crash J14–J15 northbound06:46 · cleared after 1 h 45 min
• M6 stopped traffic J906:06 · cleared after 3 h 12 min
• M6 reported crash J4A–J4 southbound05:24 · cleared after 37 min
• M6 reported crash J15–J16 northboundyesterday 17:27 · cleared after 1 h 1 min
• M6 crash J6–J7yesterday 14:28 · cleared after 1 h 50 min
• M6 crash J15–J14 southboundyesterday 03:38 · cleared after 4 h 17 min
• M6 stopped traffic J6–J7Sat 16:41 · cleared after 41 min

Live traffic and past incidents at M6 J3.

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