M61 Traffic

M61 14:54pm

SLIGHT
SEVERE
FULL SCREENUPDATED: 14:54
×
×

Traffic incidents

The following traffic incidents and congestion for M61 have been reported by Highways England, Traffic Scotland, Traffic Wales or Transport for London (TfL) in the last two hours:

CONGESTION
Location: The M61 northbound exit slip at junction J3 .
Reason: Congestion.
Status: Currently Active.
Return to normal: Normal traffic conditions are expected between 13:45 and 14:00 on 5 Dec 2025.
Nearest town: 3.43m from Bolton. CLEARED @ 13:48
CONGESTION
Location: The M61 northbound exit slip at junction J3 .
Reason: Congestion.
Status: Currently Active.
Return to normal: Normal traffic conditions are expected between 13:00 and 13:15 on 5 Dec 2025.
Nearest town: 3.43m from Bolton. CLEARED @ 13:03
CONGESTION
Location: The M61 slip road to the M60 southbound .
Reason: Congestion.
Status: Currently Active.
Return to normal: Normal traffic conditions are expected between 11:45 and 12:00 on 5 Dec 2025.
Delay: There are currently delays of 10 minutes against expected traffic.
Nearest town: 3m from Eccles. CLEARED @ 12:10
CONGESTION
Location: The M61 northbound exit slip at junction J3 .
Reason: Congestion.
Status: Currently Active.
Return to normal: Normal traffic conditions are expected between 09:00 and 09:15 on 5 Dec 2025.
Nearest town: 3.43m from Bolton. CLEARED @ 09:10


There are no current incidents in this location.

M61 Roadworks

The following roadworks have been reported by various highways agencies and official transport sources.Click on a roadworks item to view more details on the traffic map.

ROAD WORKS
Location: The M61 northbound between junctions J6and J8 .
Lane closures: Lanes 1 and 2 will be closed.
Reason: Roadworks are planned.
Status: Pending.
Schedule: Expect disruption everyday between 21:00 and 06:00 from 8 Dec 2025 to 13 Dec 2025.
Schedule: Expect disruption everyday between 21:00 and 06:00 from 15 Dec 2025 to 18 Dec 2025.
Lanes Closed: There will be two of three lanes closed.
Nearest town: 0.95m from Horwich.

M61

The M61 motorway is a 35.9 mile (58.1 km) long motorway running from the M60 in Greater Manchester, North West England to the M65 near Preston, in Lancashire. The motorway was constructed between 1970 and 1972 and was the first of the three motorways to be built around Manchester.

Over its length, the M61 traverses a variety of terrain, ranging from urban areas such as Bolton and Bury, to wide open spaces seen on the Darwen moors.

In terms of road safety, the M61 motorway scores above the national average for England and Wales, with an average collision rate of 1.37 per 100,000 vehicle km. The accident rate for the motorway is slightly above average for motorways in the UK, with an accident rate of 34 per 100,000 vehicle km. However, compared to the national average, the M61 has a much lower fatality rate, with a fatality rate of only 0.91 per 100,000 vehicle km, significantly below the national average of 3.2 fatalities per 100,000 vehicle km.

Let's Get Social

Get in touch with us or stay up to date with our latest news and updates.

Follow us on Facebook See Traffic Update on Twitter See our Pinterest Images View our Blog

Live Email Traffic Alerts

Get live email alerts whenever there is a traffic incident or roadworks on the M61 that may cause congestion or jams.

Sign up for free alerts

LEGAL NOTICE

Please remember that it is against the law to use your mobile phone, tablet or any electronic device without a hands-free kit whilst driving.If you're caught by the police using any device that can send or receive data whilst driving or riding a motorcyle you'll get an automatic fixed penalty notice, 6 points on your licence and a fine of £200.A court could also disqualify you from driving.

Elsewhere on the web:

National Highways TrafficNational Highways England

Official source of traffic updates.

Transport for LondonTransport for London (TFL)

Transport for London's (TfL) portal for transportation in London.

Traffic WalesTraffic Wales

The Welsh government's traffic information service for Wales.

Traffic ScotlandTraffic Scotland

Live traffic conditions and news for Scotland's road network.

Advertise on Traffic UpdateYOUR AD HERE

Advertise to millions of motorists, holidaymakers and commuters.

Location: northbound exit slip at junction J3 .

Due to: Congestion.



Normal traffic conditions are expected between 13:45 and 14:00 on 5 December 2025.
Nearest town: 3.43m from Bolton.

53.54--2.39

Location: northbound exit slip at junction J3 .

Due to: Congestion.



Normal traffic conditions are expected between 13:00 and 13:15 on 5 December 2025.
Nearest town: 3.43m from Bolton.

53.54--2.39

Location: slip road to the M60 southbound .

Due to: Congestion.



Normal traffic conditions are expected between 11:45 and 12:00 on 5 December 2025.

Delay : There are currently delays of 10 minutes against expected traffic.
Nearest town: 3m from Eccles.

53.52--2.36

Location: northbound exit slip at junction J3 .

Due to: Congestion.



Normal traffic conditions are expected between 09:00 and 09:15 on 5 December 2025.
Nearest town: 3.43m from Bolton.

53.54--2.39

Location: northbound between junctions J6and J8 .

Lane Closures : Lanes 1 and 2 will be closed.

Due to: Roadworks are planned.

Status : Pending.

Schedule : Expect disruption everyday between 21:00 and 06:00 from 8 December 2025 to 13 December 2025.

Schedule : Expect disruption everyday between 21:00 and 06:00 from 15 December 2025 to 18 December 2025.

Lanes Closed : There will be two of three lanes closed.
Nearest town: 0.95m from Horwich.

53.6--2.57