The M62 had to be closed for 14 hours after a Carling lorry caught fire, melting the tarmac beneath it.
Drivers on the westbound carriageway of the M62 were stuck in traffic for up to six hours yesterday afternoon, June 29, when the whole side of the major motorway was closed between junction 21 and 22.
The vehicle went up in flames part way between the hard-shoulder and lane one just before 1pm, and the driver was luckily able to escape uninjured.
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England fans stuck in the standstill traffic were forced to watch last night’s 2-0 victory against Germany from their cars, as queues backed up over 14 miles to junction 25.
Highways England have confirmed that the road needed emergency resurfacing, after the heat from the fire melted the tarmac beneath the lorry.
One of the barriers at the side of the road was also damaged, with crews working to get the road back in functional condition as quickly as possible.
A stretch of central reservation was removed just after 6pm yesterday evening to allow queueing traffic onto the eastbound carriageway to pass the scene before rejoining the westbound section.
Traffic at the end of the queue was being turned away, but by 9.30pm five miles of congestion remained in place on the approach.
Resurfacing crews arrived just after 11pm, whilst the remains of the lorry were being removed by recovery crews.
At around 12.30am this morning, the scene was fully cleared, and emergency roadworks began to restore the carriageway.
One lane of the westbound carriageway was reopened just after 2.30am, with the road fully reopening an hour later.
