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Peter Richmond
Drivers are facing five miles (8km) of tailbacks after a crash shut the M6 in Staffordshire and Cheshire.
All four lanes were shut northbound between junctions 15 at Stoke-on-Trent and 16 for Crewe at about 13:00 BST Highways England said.
Three lanes were also closed on the southbound carriageway, which has caused congestion on the A500,
Shortly before 15:00 one lane northbound reopened. It is not yet known if there were any injuries.
The Central Motorway Police Group tweeted that traffic was at a standstill.
The delays led to drivers getting out of their cars on the northbound carriageway.
The A500 is also closed southbound between the A519 Hanchurch interchange and junction 15 on the M6, which means traffic coming from Stoke-on-Trent will not be able to access the M6 in either direction.
Debbie Young, Conservative councillor for Chalford in Gloucester, tweeted that she had been stuck in traffic for two hours.