M61 was closed near Bolton after two car crash caused fire
The incident took place on the M61 southbound between J6 Middlebrook and J5 Westhoughton[1] at 2.15pm. The southbound carriageway was closed off following the crash, which saw one of the cars involved subsequently setting alight. Lane one of the motorway was reopened at around 3pm before another lane being opened at around 6pm.
Resurfacing works are ongoing but traffic is flowing more freely. To see our live blog on this incident, click here: https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/24711103.m61-near-horwich-westhoughton-closed-crash/[2] 
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “At just before 2.15pm today, two fire engines from Wigan and Atherton fire stations attended a crash involving two cars on the M61 southbound, with one car subsequently setting alight.
“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used one hose reel to extinguish the fire with crews working alongside partners from North West Ambulance Service, Greater Manchester Police, and National Highways to make the surrounding area safe. GMFRS were in attendance for around 45 minutes.”
Greater Manchester Police said that the incident was a “two car crash” and that both occupants of the cars were “uninjured”.
Traffic data company Inrix reported that congestion was also seen on surrounding routes, including through Westhoughton and Middlebrook.
References
- ^ Westhoughton (www.theboltonnews.co.uk)
- ^ https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/24711103.m61-near-horwich-westhoughton-closed-crash/ (www.theboltonnews.co.uk)
- ^