M6 fully re-opens between Junction 26 and Junction 23 after death of woman
Emergency services closed the motorway for 10-hours while work took place at the scene A 10-hour closure of the M6 has been lifted after the death of a woman[1] on the motorway between Wigan and Warrington. Motorists saw long delays after emergency services were called to the scene near to Junction 25 at 7.42am on Friday 16 January.
The northbound M6 between Junction 23 (Haydock) and 26 (Orrell) reopened partially around 4pm before a full re-opening of the motorway in both directions took place around 6pm this evening.
The M61 both northbound and southbound was heavily congested during the Friday afternoon rush hour as drivers sought to avoid to congestion while Greater Manchester Police continued to work at the scene. There were also long delays on the M58 for motorists heading back from Liverpool and the traffic on the M6 southbound backed up through to Junction 28 for Leyland during the peak of the congestion.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: "Officers were called to reports of a concern for welfare on the M6 at around 7:42am this morning (Friday 16 January 2026). "Sadly a woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Formal identification has yet to take place but there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances.
"We would like to thank members of the public today for their patience whilst enquiries have been on-going, we understand this will have caused severe disruption." Police are asking for anyone who witnessed the incident near to the bridge of Downall Green Road above the M6 southbound between junction 25 and junction 24 to get in touch. They also want to speak to anyone who may have collided with something in the carriageway at this location or who has dashcam or CCTV footage of the incident.
Anyone who can help is asked to call the serious collision investigation unit on 01618564741, quoting log 528 of 16/01/2025. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800555111. Police during Friday morning had urged people to review their travel plans due to the extensive closure of the motorway.
As of Friday evening all delays had eased apart from very minor delays on the stretch from Junction 26 through to Junction 24 on the M6 southbound. Support Blog Preston: Keep our community reporting going and view the website without any adverts too. Sign up for a membership today[3]. Stay updated: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel[4] and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter[5].
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