Traffic across Greater Manchester was severely disrupted on Thursday, 8 January, after a police incident forced the closure of parts of the M60 orbital motorway and the A6 Wellington Road North in Stockport. The incident, centred around the Stockport Pyramid junction, brought traffic to a standstill on one of the region’s busiest routes, with queues stretching for several miles and delays of up to 40 minutes, The WP Times reports, citing Greater Manchester Police and National Highways.
According to National Highways and the traffic monitoring service Inrix, all vehicles were initially held on the M60 anticlockwise at Junction 1, while the A6 was shut in both directions between Travis Brow Link Road and Leyland Street. Emergency services, including police and fire crews, were seen at the scene, and a cordon was put in place on Wellington Road North.
Where are the road closures
The disruption is focused on a key interchange linking several major routes in south Manchester:
- M60 anticlockwise between
Junction 1 (Stockport Pyramid) and Junction 27 (Brinnington) - A6 Wellington Road North between
A5145 Travis Brow Link Road and A560 Leyland Street - Slip roads around the Pyramid Roundabout
Motorway cameras showed police cars parked on the slip road leading onto the M60, with traffic backing up rapidly through Stockport and into surrounding areas.
How severe are the delays
Traffic data shows the impact has spread well beyond Stockport:
- Queues on the M60 stretched back to Junction 3 (Cheadle)
- Congestion reached Kingsway (A34) and spilled onto the M56
- Routes through Stockport town centre became heavily congested
Google Maps and Inrix both indicated that the journey between Cheadle and Stockport was taking almost 40 minutes, compared with just a few minutes under normal conditions. At this stage, Greater Manchester Police has not confirmed the exact nature of the incident. Fire engines were also seen at the scene, suggesting a multi-agency response. Police have been asked to provide further details.
Is the M60 open again
Traffic conditions have changed several times during the afternoon. Inrix reported that the M60 anticlockwise briefly reopened, but later confirmed that two of the three lanes were closed again between Junction 1 and Junction 27, leading to renewed delays. The A6 Wellington Road North remains closed under a police cordon.
Transport analysts warn that disruption is likely to continue through the evening rush hour. When large volumes of traffic are held and then released at once, nearby junctions and town-centre roads struggle to cope, leading to prolonged congestion even after motorway lanes reopen. Delays are expected to persist until at least 6.30pm to 7.30pm, particularly if the A6 remains shut.
Advice for motorists
Drivers travelling in and around Stockport and south Manchester this afternoon and evening are being urged to plan carefully.
- Avoid the M60 anticlockwise between Junction 1 (Stockport Pyramid) and Junction 27 (Brinnington), where lane closures and stop-start traffic remain in place.
- Avoid the A6 Wellington Road North, which is closed under a police cordon and is causing congestion across Stockport town centre.
- If you need to travel, use longer-distance alternatives such as the M56, M62 or A34 Kingsway, which are handling diverted traffic more reliably than local roads.
- Do not try to cut through Stockport to escape the queues, as town-centre routes and residential streets are already heavily congested.
- Where possible, delay non-essential journeys until after 7pm, when traffic volumes are expected to ease.
Traffic control centres say navigation apps are redirecting drivers in real time, but warn that Stockport town centre and surrounding junctions are under exceptional pressure as vehicles leave the motorway network and try to bypass the closure.
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