M6 closure 'makes case for concrete'

The closure of the M6 this week after a major diesel spill underlines the need for a resilient road surface and robust barriers on the motorway network, the concrete carriageway trade body has said.

National Highways said a lorry had been involved in a collision between junctions 31 and 32 northbound on Monday evening (10 March) and had come to rest on the central reservation.

The crash resulted in a large diesel spill, requiring emergency resurfacing work for which all three northbound lanes and lane four southbound were closed overnight.

Trade body Britpave said concrete road surfaces are less susceptible to the effects of fuel spillage than asphalt road surfaces, which are damaged by fuels softening the asphalt binder, leading to aggregate loss.

It added that cleaning concrete road surfaces using solvents is usually sufficient and that this resilience is why concrete is the preferred choice for airport taxiways and aprons, which are potentially exposed to jet fuels.

The trade body said the robustness of concrete was proven by the M6 incident, which had a concrete barrier that prevented a dangerous crossover accident. 

Britpave chairman Joe Quirke said: ‘We have long advocated the use of concrete for the UK motorway network for both road surfaces and barriers because of its unmatched long-term performance and minimum maintenance benefits.

‘Incidents such as that on the M6 underline the material’s inherent resilience and robustness which means that after a major accident concrete roads can be quickly re-opened to traffic rather than having to be replaced.’

A further reminder of the severe impact on traffic this evening resulting from a full closure of the #M6 north between J31 & J32 following a collision and diesel spillage.#M61 north and #M6 north are experiencing severe congestion as are local roads in #Preston. pic.twitter.com/iHJYVPxJ9P

— National Highways: North-West (@HighwaysNWEST) March 10, 2025