A terrible crash involving a lorry and four cars closed the M6 as treacherous driving conditions continue to cause chaos on the region's roads.
The M6 was blocked to traffic heading in both directions following the collision, which took place near Junction 27, just beyond Parbold, near Ormskirk.
The northbound carriageway re-opened at around 4pm, though the flow of traffic remains disrupted and the southbound lanes are still closed.
Highways England had warned the M6 would be closed for hours after the midday crash.
Lancashire Police said the crash involved a HGV and up to four cars, with roads policing officers and travel authorities describing the incident as "serious".
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The collision was the latest on a day that has seen police, fire and ambulance crews called to a series of incidents as ice and snow made for difficult driving conditions.
A major crash on the M53 through Wirral, near Clatterbridge, led to 999 calls this morning.
A car reportedly left the carriageway as it was travelling towards Liverpool at 9.20am.
Roads Policing Sergeant, Martin Mayne, said it was one of "several accidents on the M53" and urged drivers to make sure they drove sensibly "as the weather is having an impact on driving conditions."
One of the most dramatic incidents took place in Ainsdale, where a lorry smashed into a children's home, currently closed due to the pandemic.
A spokesperson from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: "One person was thought to have had head injuries and the other person neck and arm injuries.
"They were checked at the scene by paramedics. There are not thought to be any other injuries."
