M6 closure Preston: Road reopens 12 hours after milk tanker ...

The carriageway was closed between 7am and 7pm on Sunday after a tanker ploughed through the central reservation of the motorway while travelling northbound this morning. It then crashed through into the southbound carriageway before overturning between junctions 31 and 32. As much as 20,000 litres of milk was spilt onto the motorway.

The male driver and his female passenger were injured and have been taken to hospital, Lancashire Police said. Their condition remains unknown.

After the M6 northbound reopened just after 5pm, the southbound side and M55 followed at 7pm – some lane closures aside.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: "Traffic is expected to be slow moving and congested for some time so please avoid the area where possible.”

The accident impacted on traffic the M6, M55 eastbound and M61 northbound.

By 12.30pm, the milk tanker had been righted and removed from the central reservation barrier but clear-up works were urgently needed after both milk and diesel spilled into the carriageway.

Four fire engines from Preston, Bamber Bridge and Chorley and the USAR team from South Shore, were mobilised to assist with the Environment Agency among other agencies on the scene.