M6 was shut completely for 12 hours after major crash
Further lane closures 22:00-06:00 for more repairs
Overturned lorry caught fire between J12 and J13, near Cannock at 00:30
Three lanes reopened in each direction on Wednesday afternoon
The HGV hit the central reservation and spilt fuel across motorway
Some drivers said they had been stuck in queues for up to five hours
Despite the three lanes reopening in the past few minutes on the M6 southbound between J13 and J12, drivers are being warned there's still a queue of about six miles of traffic.
Highways England says congestion is back past J14, for Stafford north, and it will take more than an hour to get through., external
BBC News Travel
To explain quite how bad tailbacks have been this morning, Anna, from Cheslyn Hay, emailed us to say she'd been stuck on the slip road at J11 for four hours, waiting for traffic to move.
Image source, Highways EnglandWhile on Twitter, user @jeffers_71 bemoaned, external that his vehicle hadn't moved much in five hours near J12.
It's not just on the motorway itself. Ian Bourne, who's been travelling to Stoke-on-Trent from Cannock, emailed to say there were "big delays in Hednesford, Cannock, Stone in each direction".
Three lanes have just been reopened on the M6 southbound between J13 and J12,, external near Stafford.
Highways England has lifted the closure which had been in place since just after midnight when a lorry crashed into the central barrier, overturned, spilt fuel and caught fire.
The northbound side's set to stay closed for resurfacing work and lanes southbound could require further emergency repairs tonight.
Allen Cook
BBC News
The sheer weight of queuing traffic on the M6 this afternoon is actually delaying the reopening of part of the motorway, Highways England's admitted.
At 11:18, it said , externalit was attempting to reopen two lanes on the southbound side.
However, when a Twitter user asked if they were back in use, the organisation said, external "traffic officers are struggling to get through to take the closure off at the moment".
Allen Cook
BBC News
The crash on the M6 is being heavily covered by local newspapers:
Allen Cook
BBC News
People aren't the only ones getting stuck in the congestion on the M6 in Staffordshire today.
Tiana Ashford emailed to say she'd been stuck for two-and-a-half hours on the motorway with three chickens in the back of her vehicle.
She thanked a lorry driver who "gave us a big bottle of water".
Image source, Tiana AshfordIn case you were wondering, the latest on the chickens is that they are "back home, safe and sound" (as pictured above), despite Tiana not making it to her destination.
If you've been stuck in tailbacks, we'd love to hear from you (if it's safe and legal to do so of course).
Diesel and radiator fluid were spilled on to the M6 this morning when the lorry crashed into the central barrier and overturned, police have said.
Officers from the Central Motorway Police Group were called to the southbound side between J13 and J12 at 00:40 and said the vehicle also caught fire and damaged the carriageway.
BBC News Travel
Two lanes could be reopening soon on the southbound side of the M6 in Staffordshire, Highways England says.
Both carriageways between J12 and J13 have been shut since just after midnight after the lorry overturned.
Highways England tweeted, external it was trying to open two lanes southbound once they were cleared of debris, but the northbound side needed resurfacing and would stay shut.
Allen Cook
BBC News
It's not just the M6 itself that's heavily congested, surrounding roads in Staffordshire have been described as being "gridlocked" by people on Twitter.
With both sides of the motorway shut between J12 and J13, Highways England's been diverting drivers off the motorway through Penkridge and Gailey.
Image source, Highways EnglandUser @thatsmytweet0 tweeted , externalthat all roads in Stafford, Penkridge, Cannock and Stone were "gridlocked" and called for a bypass to help prevent congestion caused by problems on the M6.
There are also long delays on the M6 itself, with user @Lizziemcfc saying it had taken three hours to get from Salford to Stafford., external
All Megabus services between Manchester and Birmingham are being diverted away from the M6 in Staffordshire due to the ongoing closure of the motorway.
The firm says its passengers are facing delays of between an hour and nearly three hours , externalwith six of its routes affected.
BBC News Travel
National Express coaches are having to be diverted away from Penkridge this morning with the M6 shut in both directions between J12 and J13.
The firm says, with the motorway not expected to reopen before midday, it can't get to Penkridge so services will instead use Wolverhampton., external
Daz Hale
BBC WM
"I've moved about 6-700 yards in an hour and 40 minutes".
Luca, who called BBC WM this morning, is one of hundreds of drivers snarled up in congestion after the M6 was closed between J12 and J13.
Image source, Highways EnglandHe said he got to the slip road for J11 at 06:18 and hadn't actually reached the motorway itself two hours later, as he tried to get to Macclesfield.
The motorway's likely to be shut in both directions for much of the morning after the lorry crash and fire just after midnight.
If you've been stuck in tailbacks or, like Jason Russel, externall, decided to turn around and work from home, we'd love to hear from you (if it's safe and legal to do so of course).
BBC News Travel
Drivers are being urged to keep avoiding the M6 in Staffordshire this morning with congestion stretching back several miles in both directions.
Image source, Highways EnglandSouthbound queues approaching J14
Highways England says , externalthere are five miles on the northbound side from J11 and six miles southbound from J14.
It adds there are also "substantial delays" on its diversion route away from the motorway.
Image source, Highways EnglandQueuing traffic approaching J11
It could be this evening before the M6 in Staffordshire is fully open again, Highways England has said.
Both carriageways between J12 and J13 have been shut since about 00:30 after a lorry collided with the central barrier.
The crash caused a lot of damage and spilled fuel across the motorway - specialists have been called in for the clear up.
Highways England said it was hoping to open the southbound side in the next few hours but the northbound side could stay shut until this evening., external
Kevin Pashby
BBC WM
These photos have just been released by Highways England showing the crash on the M6 this morning, along with the removal of the lorry and the damage to the barrier:
Image source, Highways England
Image source, Highways England
Image source, Highways EnglandAmong the drivers caught up in the heavy congestion around the M6 this morning was BBC Radio Stoke reporter Al Booth.
He was meant to arrive in Stoke-on-Trent at 06:30 but ended up arriving just before 09:00 , externalas it had been "a nightmare on the M6" - that was his excuse anyway.
Major repairs are having to be made to the M6 this morning which is why Highways England shut the motorway just after midnight., external
Image source, Highways EnglandSpecialists had to be brought in to right the lorry after it overturned and caught fire.
Highways England said a lot of debris and fuel was also spread across the motorway, and the central barrier was badly damaged.
This gives an idea of how congested parts of the M6 and the area around it is this morning, with the motorway shut between J12 and J13.
This is Google's traffic map for the area, external and the more red the route, the slower the traffic:
Image source, GoogleAllen Cook
BBC News
Delays of several hours are being reported by drivers in Staffordshire as routes around the M6 remain congested after the lorry crash just after midnight.
Twitter user @cdutts said it had already taken him more than two hours to get to Stoke-on-Trent from Stafford.
While @burrows_andy tweeted, , external40 minutes since leaving work, he was "still closer to work than home" due to the M6 closure.
Another driver Jason Russell, external said he joined the M6 at J16 and found it at a "standstill" after Keele services. So much so, that he'd decided to turn off at J15 and "logon and work from home".
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Both sides of the M6 between J12 and J13 are likely to be shut for most of the morning, Highways England says.
Image source, Highways EnglandThe motorway's been shut for several hours after a lorry collided with the central barrier, overturned and caught fire.
Highways England says it expects to reopen the southbound carriageway later this morning, but the northbound will stay shut until later today.