Traffic lights were not working at the time of a crash at a major motorway junction.
Emergency services were called to Clifton roundabout in Runcorn at 1.55pm last Wednesday following the crash, which resulted in firefighters extracting the smaller vehicle’s driver. The 38-year-old man from Blackpool was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Cheshire Police told the ECHO the crash involved a yellow Scania HGV and a white Mercedes van. The trucker involved in the incident wasn’t injured, and a police spokesman said the road was clear by 4.40pm.
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The junction sits at the end of the A557 Weston Point Expressway and serves as junction 12 of the M56 motorway. It is also part of the Mersey Gateway project network, which as well as the main bridge crossing between Widnes and Runcorn, also spans part of Halton’s main arterial roads to and from the crossing through.
The bridge route is covered by a set of byelaws and the Merseylink consortium appoints the maintenance contractor. A Merseylink spokeswoman told the ECHO the lights weren’t working at the time of the collision and were fixed soon after the crash.
The spokesperson said warning signs had been installed to alert drivers to the hazard. Cheshire Police has not responded to a request for comment on whether the lighting fault is believed to have been a factor in the collision.
The Merseylink spokeswoman said: “We confirm that on Wednesday, December 14, at 1.55pm the traffic lights at M56-junction 12 roundabout were not operational.
“Temporary warning signage had been erected on site to advise road users that the lights were not working and a technician was onsite carrying out works to remedy the fault at the time of the incident.
“The traffic light fault was rectified shortly after the collision and all traffic lights at this location are now fully operational.”
The ECHO contacted Merseylink for comment following reports from readers online in response to an initial report on the collision.
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