PART of the M606 motorway will be closed for a second night after a lorry spilled thousands of litres of paint on the road surface.

The road is closed southbound between Odsal at junction 3 and the Euroway trading estate at junction 2 after a heavy goods vehicle carrying 10,000 litres of paint shed its load.

A major clean-up operation is under way to remove the paint from the road and part of the motorway will have to be resurfaced, according to Highways England.

The southbound section of motorway is to remain closed overnight for the resurfacing works but the teams hope to reopen it tomorrow morning. 

A spokesman for Highways England said: “Between 3,000 and 4,000 litres of paint has been spilt on the carriageway and contractors are using a tanker and high pressure hose to try and remove the paint.

“This is a complex operation due to the nature of the spillage and is likely to take some time."

It is understood that the spillage happened after a collision between the lorry and another vehicle, but police were unable to confirm this or give any further details today.

The Environment Agency and fire crews have also been involved with the operation, trying to stop the paint from contaminating local watercourses.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “The Environment Agency is investigating a pollution incident in which a white, non-hazardous substance has spilled from a lorry on the M606 motorway.

"We have been working with the fire service and Highways England in response to the incident.

"Fire officers carried out work last night to contain the pollutant in a roadside drain, and our officers are out on the ground today checking local watercourses for any potential environmental impacts or potential risks.

"Anyone who sees any pollution in a watercourse is urged to report it to our incident hotline on 0800 807060 so we can investigate.”

Drivers are advised to allow extra time for their journeys and plan ahead.

Alternative routes have been very busy throughout the day.