M6 Preston speed limit cut, Junction 31 to 33 upgrade and new Ribble Bridge calls made by city’s MP

Cutting speed limits, a new bridge over the Ribble and upgrading the M6 between Junction 31 and Junction 33 has been put on the government’s agenda.

Preston’s MP Sir Mark Hendrick has written to the Secretary of State for Transport in the wake of the latest major M6 incident to gridlock the city and surrounding area.

The 18-hour closure of the stretch between Junction 31 to Junction 32 northbound due to a lorry crash on Monday lunchtime led to many motorists reporting being trapped in traffic for up to nine hours in some cases.

Labour MP Sir Mark is calling for the government to take action saying it is ‘not a one-off problem’ in his letter to Heidi Alexander MP.

He also calls for a lower speed limit to be introduced on the stretch between Junction 31 and Junction 33 – which has seen a number of major crashes in the last six months which have resulted in severe congestion.

Preston and the A6 is the relief route for when there is a major incident on the M6 but the city’s road network is struggling to cope with the increased traffic.

Sir Mark also gives his support for the long-mooted River Ribble crossing from Penwortham to Lea connecting the Penwortham bypass to the Preston Western Distributor.

Speaking to Blog Preston, Sir Mark said he had heard from Prestonians about missed school pick-ups, cancelled hospital appointments, missing work shifts and journeys taking five hours for what should be 20-minute suburban journeys in many cases.

He said: “I’ve had lots of people contacting me to express their frustration at what happened. Of course the challenge was the diesel spill across the carriageway and so it is understandable the closure and resurfacing needed.

“However, it is becoming more common for these widespread disruptions and the impact this has on the city and surrounding area.

“I was not caught up in it myself as I had been down in Salford, but my car broke down and so was being transported back to Preston. The poor driver who took it back, it ended up taking more than six hours for him to do what should be a 45 or 50-minute journey.

“He and I had been keeping in regular contact while he was stuck and I’d been trying to offer options on alternative routes, I think I’ve got pretty good Preston road knowledge from my decades as an MP but every single way was just showing red on the traffic maps. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Pressed on how realistic any investment was from the Labour government, of which Sir Mark is a part of, he said any major spending was under pressure because of the rising tensions in Ukraine and defence spending take precedent.

He said: “Preston’s not a big city, so when it comes to getting the kind of investment needed for transport then we’re going to be further down that pecking order than the likes of Manchester, Birmingham and the like.

“But there’s no doubt in my mind when you look at the importance of the M6 to Lancashire, and how 1.5million people live in the county, then there needs to be consideration given by the government to what can be done.

“The new bridge is not a new idea but it’s clear the direction of travel towards that.

“The lack of bridges over the Ribble is the challenge. But if you look at Manchester and how many crossings there are between Salford and Manchester, then that kind of investment can be done.

“But we’ve had decades now of not seeing the kind of infrastructure improvements needed, from Junction 31A still just being only one direction and the like. It’s frustrating.”

Sir Mark also blamed the current two-tier local authority set up as part of the stumbling block, saying district councils like Preston had little input or ability to make a difference and that Lancashire County Council was spread too thin without the focus and budget of Mayors like Manchester or Liverpool to unlock the spending needed.

Lancashire is moving to a Combined Authority set up, although it does not currently have a Mayoral Devolution deal.

The M6 disruption through Monday and Tuesday saw widespread frustration from motorists on social media about the length of closure.

Lancashire Police moved to issue a statement in response, explaining the length of closure.

The barrier repairs and recovery taking place on the M6 Pic: National Highways North West

A police spokesperson said: “We understand the disruption and frustration which the closure caused.

“The lengthy closure was needed to allow the HGV to be recovered and for emergency repair work to be carried out by National Highways engineers as a substantial diesel spillage from the HGV damaged an extensive area of the northbound carriageway and required resurfacing work.

“The damage to the central reservation needed to be repaired.

“The large volume of traffic which uses the M6 was diverted on to surrounding roads which caused lengthy delays across the Preston area, impacting also on the M61 and M65. Thank you for your patience.”

Sir Mark’s letter to the Transport Secretary in full

Sir Mark Hendrick MP pictured at Preston Docks — Sir Mark Hendrick MP has raised the M6 congestion and incidents with the Transport Secretary

I am writing to convey my frustration regarding the continued traffic congestion in, and
around, my constituency of Preston.

Over the last couple of months, there has been a significant number of crashes that have taken
place on the M6 motorway, particularly around Junctions 31-33, which directly impacts
traffic in Preston. As the M6 is the primary motorway for connecting in and out of Preston,
the crashes that take place result in all external routes being congested with hours-long
queues.

As a result of another crash on the M6 at Junction 31 that took place yesterday, 10 March,
there were hours of queues, including an 18-hour closure. This also led to an impact on traffic
across Lancashire, including all A-roads in and out of Preston, as well as delays on the M61
and M55.

Due to an 18-hour closure, this traffic congestion continued during the morning of 11 March,
resulting in the same queues for residents and commuters in Preston. I share my concerns that
this is not a one-off problem. This congestion happens regularly as a result of motorway
crashes and delays, specifically the M6.

Many of my constituents in Preston have contacted me to share their frustration with being
unable to pick up their children on time from education, concerned about arriving at their
destination safely and taking five hours to travel a 20-minute journey.

I would be grateful if you could advise if the Government has:

Plans to reduce Road Traffic Collisions, in Preston and Lancashire.
Reviewed what investment will be made to upgrade the motorway system in
Preston/Lancashire.
Assessed how many Road Traffic Collisions have happened in recent years in Preston,
and the impact this has had on the local economy.
Discussed implementing a lower speed limit for the areas that are known fo motorway crashes, such as Junctions 31-33 of the M6.
Considered the construction of a new bridge from Penwortham to Lea to ensure that an alternative route to ease congestion is available, connecting the Penwortham by-pass to the Preston Western Distributor.

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