The clockwise M60 in Manchester was closed between junction 22 at the Hollinwood Interchange in Oldham and junction 23 Snipe Interchange at Ashton-under-Lyne, leaving long tailbacks on the motorway and forcing drivers to divert. Greater Manchester Police officers and staff from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were at the scene as the closure remained in place.
National Highways told drivers to follow the solid diamond diversion symbol on road signs if they were trying to head clockwise. It also said it could not give an estimated duration for the closure, stating: "Due to the nature of the incident we cannot provide an estimated duration for the closure." The A635 at Manchester Road was also closed, adding to disruption on roads around the affected stretch.
The cause of the closure was not given, and that is the point drivers need to understand today: there is no reopening time yet, and the delay is already spreading well beyond the closed section. With police and fire crews on scene and National Highways unable to say when traffic will move again, motorists heading that way are being pushed onto signed diversion routes rather than the motorway itself.
For anyone planning to use the clockwise M60, the question is not what caused the disruption but how long it will last. At present, the answer is unknown, and the safest assumption is that delays will continue until the scene is cleared and the motorway is reopened.
