Woman dies on motorway as road close

Between junction 27 and junction 26 for the M58 and Orrell Interchange, the motorway is still closed in both directions in the south. While accident investigation work is still being done at the scene, police stated that “significant delays are expected in the area for the immediate future.”

National Highways stated that the “closure is expected to remain in place throughout the morning for complex investigation works” and that a diversion route has been established. The police are urging anyone who has any footage or information about this unfortunate incident to come forward.

A GMP spokesman issued the following statement: “We were called to the M6 junction 27 this morning (Friday, August 16, 2024) at around 1.25 am due to a concern for the welfare of a female. Upon arriving at the location, we regretfully found the female’s body.

The M6 southbound between junction 27 and 26 is closed while officers continue with their investigations. Significant delays are to be expected in the area for the immediate future.

“Thank you for your patience at this time. If anyone has any information about this incident or any footage, including dashcam, CCTV, or mobile phone footage is asked to call 101 quoting log number 171 of 16/08/2024.”

“At around 02:00 the M6 southbound near Wigan was closed to assist the multi-agency response to this North West Motorway Police Group led incident,” read a statement on the National Highways website. Traffic management is being implemented on the scene by National Highways Traffic Officers in order to assist law enforcement and the North West Ambulance Service.

Since police accident investigations are necessary due to the nature of the occurrence, the road won’t be able to reopen until these have been completed. As of right now, no timeframe exists for when the M6 southbound between J27 and J26 will open.