A new taskforce has launched across the North East of England to tackle growing congestion problems plaguing a major motorway for the first time.
Labour MP Maya Ellis has launched a new multi-agency taskforce aimed at addressing persistent traffic problems on the M6 and nearby roads across Lancashire.
The Ribble Valley MP established the Lancashire M6 Partnership in response to widespread concerns from local residents about the chaos caused when serious incidents force closures on the busy route.
Ms Ellis has previously spoken about the issue in the House of Commons, telling fellow MPs that disruption had become "a monthly, if not weekly, occurrence".
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The need for action follows repeated crashes and closures along the motorway, which have resulted in severe gridlock affecting both Preston and Lancaster, with traffic spilling onto rural lanes already under pressure from increased housebuilding in the area.
The Labour MP said she hoped the initiative would help find solutions to ongoing traffic challenges causing serious disruptions.
The partnership brings together several key organisations responsible for managing the county's road network and emergency response.
Lancashire County Council's highways department, National Highways, Lancashire Police, the North West Ambulance Service and Lancashire Fire and Rescue all form part of the collaborative group, alongside fellow parliamentarians.
Labour MP Maya Ellis will work alongside Lancashire County Council and emergency services to keep traffic moving
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Members will convene every three months to examine ways of easing pressure on the road system and addressing difficulties that arise when the motorway is partially or completely shut.
Ms Ellis explained that she aimed to "bring together all the different people who could potentially feed into solving some of the challenges, both in terms of immediate response, but also the long-term challenges".
The MP added: "We always seem to have issues on the M6 and then all the surrounding routes get blocked up when there's an accident, and it just felt like something that surely we can solve."
She acknowledged that funding constraints have meant large-scale infrastructure projects are unlikely in the near term, although there will be a focus on immediate fixes and calls for new investment.
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The taskforce has been launched in response to persistent traffic build-up on the M6
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"It's all about what are the more immediate things that we can do, but also starting to get all the right agencies working together so that we can build a case for some of the longer-term asks," Ms Ellis added.
In May 2025, a serious collision involving a van and a lorry between Junctions 31a and 32 caused significant disruption for motorists, while a lorry fire impacted drivers a week later.
The inaugural meeting of the partnership has already identified practical suggestions to improve the situation, including better using gaps in the central reservation to redirect vehicles more efficiently during incidents.
Improved communication between the various agencies involved was also highlighted as a priority to provide clearer warnings to drivers about traffic disruption.
The Labour MP hoped the taskforce would help tackle growing congestion along the motorway
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The MP stressed that motorway closures were never undertaken lightly, with lengthy shutdowns necessary to protect emergency workers and allow proper investigations following collisions.
Looking further ahead, the partnership discussed aspirations for a new bridge on the western side of Preston that could significantly alleviate congestion problems.
Ms Ellis acknowledged this represented a 10-to-20-year ambition rather than an immediate prospect.
She emphasised the importance of collaborative working as Lancashire moves towards establishing a County Combined Authority, with hopes of eventually securing full devolution and an elected mayor for the region.