Highways has contacted the Examiner again with an update.

Press officer James Wright says earlier incidents are cleared but now staff are working to determine whether it is safe to allow motorists across Rakewood Viaduct or whether they need to remove part of the safety barrier and send them down the other carriageway.

He said staff were working hard at the scene of the closure to get people on their way.

Their advice once you get off the motorway is to get to a place of safety - whether this is home, or a hotel, or services.

This is what’s happening.

J22 westbound at about 8pm

J21-22 Eastbound closure

This was initially caused by a vehicle fire. Traffic started being released at 12.45pm, but was travelling very slowly because of the very poor road conditions. It was 5.20pm before the trapped traffic( anybody past the point of closure but before the blockage) was cleared. Anyone who was trapped because of this is on their way. Traffic heading towards the closure is being diverted however these routes are also under considerable pressure.

J24-21 Westbound closure

This was due to an accident at around 5.30pm, between J22 and J21. The motorway was closed for emergency services to deal with the incident. Traffic approaching the closure is being diverted however because the smaller routes were struggling, the closure was moved back to J24 to help traffic flow on the diversion routes. The accident scene has now been cleared. Traffic has been stopped at Rakewood Viaduct while staff assess whether it is safe to allow traffic to cross or whether they need to remove part of the safty barrier and allow traffic to return down the other carriageway.

James said there are significant delays on approach to the closures at both scenes but drivers will be able to leave the motorway via diversion routes.

He said drivers will be directed to get off and then go back the way they came, or follow a diversion - however these will be very busy and conditions won’t be much better than they are on the M62.

He said: “We have teams trying to release that traffic. It’s a long slow process but we are there working with police to turn people round and get them on their way.”

James said the authority was currently not at the stage where contingency plans needed to be made for drivers stuck all night.

He said in that circumstance, emergency welfare called civil contingency could be issued. This was down to the local authority and Highways work with them and police to issue it.