A stranded vehicle closed the northbound carriageway between junctions 31 (Samlesbury Interchange) and 31A (Haighton Interchange) at around midday today (Friday, June 11).

The car - which had broken down in the central reservation - had to be towed by traffic officers before being taken away by a recovery vehicle at 1pm.

The closure caused heavy congestion in the area, with queues spanning back to junction 28 of the M6 (Leyland Interchange) and junction 9 of the M61 (Clayton Brook Interchange).

At 1.45pm, crash closed one lane on the M6 northbound between junctions 33 (Hampson Green Interchange) and 34 (Halton Interchange).

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"The incident involved two vehicles and left one casualty with minor injuries," a spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Three fire engines from Lancaster and Morecambe attended the scene for around half an hour.

The scene on the M6 northbound at junction 29 (Bamber Bridge Interchange). (Credit: Highways England)

40 minutes delays were reported in the area as a result of the incident.

Construction work on the northbound carriageway between junctions 24 (Ashton Interchange) and 25 (Bryn Interchange) has also been causing delays.

Thousands of motorists are expected to travel north to the coast and the Lake District for the weekend.

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Traffic has been moving slowly on the M6 in Lancashire following a number of incidents. (Credit: AA)

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Heavy traffic on M6 in Lancashire as weekend getaway begins