The funds secured by Cheshire East Council will pay for widening and traffic signals on the northbound slip road and A500 approaches.

The Highways Agency says this will reduce queuing and delays on the approaches, which can tailback to the A5020 and A500 roundabout at Weston.

It is one of 58 schemes where they want to reduce congestion and improve safety as part of a “strategic pinch point” programme.

It comes just two weeks after Cheshire East secured £2.7 million of “local pinch point” funding for a Basford West spine road linking the A500 at Shavington with Gresty Road, Crewe.

Cllr Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “I am delighted to see the Government takes Cheshire East seriously as a place for investment and understands the need to improve the nation’s highway network.

“One of our key aims is for Cheshire East to have a strong and resilient economy and improving the roads in and around the borough ensures we will gain an even greater reputation as an excellent place to do business.”

The scheme will also improve access to planned employment and other key development sites in South Cheshire.

Work on the M6 junction improvements are due to take place in 2014 and be completed by the end of that year.

Cheshire East has also applied for a further £2.8 million of local pinch point funding for a 600 metre-long widening of the A500 on the approach to junction 16.

Alan Bullock, aged 54, died in the horrific accident on the southbound carriageway involved two lorries, five cars and two vans.

Eleven people in total were injured, but Mr Bullock, from Blackpool,  was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 33-year-old woman from Sheffield and a 50-year-old man from Blackpool remain in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Several others suffered minor injuries in the smash which happened at around 11.30am yesterday (December 10).

Thousands of motorists were caught up in tailbacks for several hours as police were forced to close the motorway to rescue casualties and clear the wreckage.

Many had to be turned around and guided back up the motorway to exit at Sandbach Services or junction 17.

Cheshire Police is appealing for any witnesses to the incident to contact them on 101 quoting incident number 338 of 10 December.

Many others were injured in the the accident involving two vans, two HGVs and five cars which closed the southbound motorway for most of the day.

All the casualties have been taken to hospital, two flown from scene by air ambulance.

A diversion is in place from junction 18, but all major roads in South Cheshire are experiencing heavy traffic and long delays.

The A54 and the A50 are particularly bad, say Cheshire Police. Drivers are warned to avoid the area and seek an alternative route where possible.

Highways Agency traffic officers and Cheshire Police have been working to free drivers stuck behind the collision at junction 16 of the southbound M6 since the accident happened at around 11.30am.

Traffic is being turned around in the carriageway and being released via Sandbach Services and junction 17 but due to the volume of traffic this is taking some time.

Anyone stuck on the carriageway – or any of the adjoining roads – with urgent concerns about their or someone  else’s welfare should ring 999 for emergency help.

Det Chief Insp Brian Roberts said: “We are working closely alongside the Highways Agency and are doing all we can to clear the backlog of traffic and to minimise the disruption that has been caused to the motorway network – and adjoining roads.

“We would like to thank motorists for their continued patience and would like to reassure them that we are doing everything we can to ensure that the carriageway is cleared as soon as possible.”

Anyone with any information in relation to the incident is urged to call Cheshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 338 of 10 December.

The accident happened southbound involving heavy goods vehicles, several cars and a van.

It’s believed some people remained trapped in their vehicles.

Emergency services are at the scene and the motorway has been closed in both directions to get access.

It happened at about 11.23am today (Monday December 10).

Cheshire Police are advising motorists to avoid the area.

Further updates soon.

The incident happened on the southbound carriageway just before junction 19.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue crews were called out at around midday to the collision scene.

A spokesman said the incident involved three cars.

One woman and two children were trapped in the vehicles.

Crews released the three casualties and handed them to the care of the ambulance service.

Motorists are being advised to avoid that stretch of the M6 as the closure caused long tailbacks.

Plans for the new road layout on the A500 approach and around junction 16 roundabout and slip roads could start this autumn.

The multi-million pound scheme is being considered by the Highways Agency in Birmingham.

Work would take around nine months, likely to cause disruption for hundreds of commuters from Nantwich who use the route daily.

It’s part of a larger plan to boost access to the Basford West site off the A500 near Shavington -  a key site owned by Goodman.

The company secured planning permission to develop the site as a logistics and employment hub in 2008.

But conditions require Goodman to upgrade the motorway slip roads and roundabout and widen the A500 approach from Crewe and Nantwich to cope with increased traffic.

Slip roads would be widened, traffic lights used to manage traffic flow around the junction 16 roundabout, the roundabout widened to three lanes, and additional lanes on the A500 for almost half  a mile on the approach to the M6.

There will also be a new road from A500 dual carriageway at Shavington through Basford West site linking to the B5071 Gresty Road.

Cllr Rod Menlove, Cabinet member in charge of the environment, said: “With the Highways Agency approval in place, the council will do everything it can to assist Goodman to begin the works as soon as possible. Every effort will be made to minimise disruption.

“But, inevitably with work of this scope, there would be periods of disruption and so there would be measures taken, such as night-time working, diversions and local traffic management arrangements.”

Jenny Moten, of the Highways Agency for the Midlands, added: “Facilitating growth is a key priority for the Highways Agency and we are therefore looking forward to working with the council and Goodman to enable the project to start.”

Ian Pritchard, development director for Goodman, said: “Market conditions continue to be challenging since we received our planning approval back in 2008.

“But, with a planning framework and highways approvals in place, we believe we will be in a position to commit to the highway works over the coming months.”

The accident closed the A500 last night (April 24) between the junction 16 of the M6 and the roundabout to Crewe and Nantwich.

The victim, a 60-year-old local man, was driving his blue Vauxhall van on the Newcastle Road A500 at around 6.45pm.

Police believe his vehicle then crossed the carriageway and collided with a Scania HGV driving in the opposite direction, towards the M6.

The van driver died at the scene. His next of kin have been informed. The driver of the HGV, a 41-year-old man, suffered whiplash.

The A500 was closed in both directions for over an hour, with motorists diverted through Barthomley, Alsager and surrounding lanes.

Police are appealing for witnesses Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 quoting incident number 750 of 24 April.

The accident involved an HGV and car, sending the lorry careering off the motorway.

Cheshire Police remain at the scene between junction 21 and junction 21a between Woolston and Croft. The accident happened at 7.35am today (March 22).

Two people have been taken to hospital, but it’s not clear how serious their injuries are.

The M6 northbound carriageway is closed and traffic diversions are in place.

The carriageway is expected to be closed for some time until recovery of the vehicles has taken place.

It will have a massive knock on effect for motorists who are advised to avoid the area.

Alternative routes are also likely to be very busy.

Malcolm John Simpson (pictured) was convicted of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving after a three-day trial at Chester Crown Court.

Simpson, 62, from Barlby, Yorkshire, was driving his Scania HGV north on the M6 when he veered dangerously across the carriageway and ploughed into Thomas Southward and Philip Cawley.

The victims had been changing a tyre on the hard shoulder of the M6 close to junction 17 at Sandbach.

Thomas Southward

Thomas was thrown forward into the line of traffic and was hit by another HGV.

The horrific incident was caught on the Highways Agency′s CCTV and showed the vehicle drive onto the hard shoulder and back out and almost onto the middle lane.

It then drifted back into the hard shoulder where it collided with the men, who were pronounced dead at the scene.

Cheshire Motorway Inspector Liz Cunningham said: “Had the driver paid the necessary and correct attention, this tragic incident could have been avoided.

“He was employed as a professional driver in a high risk environment where the responsibility to other road users is paramount.

“This was a tragic incident which has left a hole in the lives of two families. While the sentence will bring a sense of closure, this will stay with the families of Thomas and Philip forever as they try to come to terms with such a horrendous loss.”

Philip Cawley

In a joint statement, the victims’ families said: “On the 9th September 2010 our families were devastated when we were informed by the police that Philip and Tommy had been killed on the hard shoulder of the M6 north of Sandbach.

“We have found this a very distressing and difficult 16 months for the enquiry to come to trial.

“We would like to thank everyone who assisted at the time of the incident, including the witnesses at the scene, Cheshire Police, CPS in particular Simon Parry QC and the family liason officers who supported the families through this very trying time.”

The accident happened on the southbound carriageway, and police say the closure is likely to be in place for some time.

Huge tailbacks developed in peak rush hour, and police are advising drivers to find an alternative route as lane closures are set to remain for several hours.

The HGVs collided at about 5.30pm, and sent one of them crashing off the motorway into a ditch.

The driver was trapped in his vehicle and had to be freed by fire crews. Despite treatment by paramedics on the scene, the driver died.

Cheshire Police say he was driving a foreign registered vehicle and are now trying to trace his next of kin.

The other lorry jack-knifed blocking all three lanes, but the driver was uninjured.

Emergency services closed the southbound and also two lanes of the northbound carriageway to allow for recovery and rescue work.

The knock-on effect led to traffic problems on all surrounding routes like the A500.

Police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or have any information which could assist the police collision investigator in establishing what caused the collisions, to contact the North West Police Motorway Group by dialling the police non emergency number 101.

Snow is causing problems in Crewe, Nantwich, Winsford, Middlewich and other areas.

Many motorists have also issued warnings on social network site Twitter, and poor conditions on the M6 around junctions 15 and 16 have also been reported.

There have been a number of minor accidents.

A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said: “Only make journeys that are absolutely necessary, ensure your car is fully defrosted with full visibility, and maintain a safe and constant speed and avoid sudden braking that can cause your car to skid.”

George Osbourne said he and the Department for Transport will fund 60 per cent, (£16.5m) of the £27million cost of the road.

Council bosses said it was fantastic news for the whole of Cheshire East as it could unlock major employment sites along the A500 between Nantwich and the M6.

Cheshire East Council Leader Cllr Wesley Fitzgerald said: “This announcement is absolutely fantastic news – not only for Crewe but also for Cheshire East as a whole.

“This is a major project which is central to our All Change for Crewe plans to greatly enhance the future prosperity of Crewe and the surrounding region to make it a nationally significant economic centre by 2030 – with population growth and a highly skilled workforce to meet employers’ future need.

“The £27m link road would create an alternate bypass for Crewe, improving access to the A500 and M6 and alleviating traffic passing through the town.

“It is also hoped it will unlock the potential of two major employment sites at Basford and help facilitate the creation of new jobs in high-value employment over the next 20 years.

“It will support sustainable economic growth, improving connectivity between areas of deprivation to the north or Crewe, the town centre, the rail station and major employment opportunities to the south east.”