J16 clear today after lorry fire chaos

Drivers in Audlem are advised that the slip road onto the northbound M6 at junction 16 at Barthomley has re-opened this morning following work by the Highways Agency overnight.

The slip road fully re-opened at 1.15am today after a massive clean-up operation by the Highways Agency following the incident yesterday morning when a lorry carrying 25 tonnes of used cooking oil overturned and caught fire.

The spillage created a mini-lake of oil at the junction and triggered long tailbacks along the main A500 commuter route into Stoke-on-Trent,

As well as working to remove the burnt out tanker and contain the oil spill, Highways Agency contractors had to carry out emergency resurfacing across the two lanes along about 200 yards of the slip road, repairing the damage caused by the oil.

A section of the roundabout leading to the slip road also had to be resurfaced. The Highways Agency said today that the road was now clear and back to normal.

Fire crews from Crewe, Sandbach, Winsford, Ellesmere Port, Warrington and Staffordshire used around 1,200 litres of foam to extinguish the flames and specialist equipment was brought in to contain the oil spill.

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