A police-led incident shut a major section of the M60 motorway in both directions in Greater Manchester on Thursday morning, October 15, 2026. This disrupted rush-hour travel between Junction 17 at Prestwich and Junction 18 at Simister Island. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) coordinated the emergency response, while motorists faced lengthy delays during the morning commute.
National Highways North-West reported delays exceeding 30 minutes, with traffic queues stretching more than three miles on approaches to the closure. Emergency services, including police, firefighters from the Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service, paramedics from the North West Ambulance Service, and National Highways workers, attended the scene to manage the situation.
Nature of the Incident and Resolution
Authorities initially kept details brief while managing the active scene. In a statement released after 07:45 BST, Greater Manchester Police confirmed the emergency response was initiated following a concern for a woman’s welfare.
"It was a concern for welfare, woman involved has been safely secured with officers and roads should now be reopening," a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police stated.
The woman was successfully brought to safety by officers at the scene. Following her rescue, preparations began to clear the motorway and lift the restrictions.
Impact on Traffic and Local Roads
The motorway closure lasted for approximately two hours, creating significant knock-on effects across the regional transport network. National Highways first announced the shutdown via its account on X at 5:40 am. In addition to the main line closure on the M60 between J17 Whitefield Interchange and J18 Simister Interchange, local traffic was heavily impacted.
The A665 Bury Old Road in Whitefield was shut between Walker Avenue and North Circle in connection with the motorway disruption. National Highways established official diversion routes for both clockwise and anti-clockwise traffic:
- Anti-clockwise Diversion: Motorists were advised to join the M60 clockwise, exit at Junction 19, take the A576 Middleton Road, follow the A6044 westbound via Sheepfoot Lane and Scholes Lane, then turn onto the A56 northbound Bury New Road to re-join the M60 anti-clockwise at Junction 17.
- Clockwise Diversion: Drivers exited the M60 at Junction 17, moved south on the A56 Bury New Road, transitioned east onto the A6044 via Scholes Lane and Sheepfoot Lane, continued onto the A576 Middleton Road, and re-joined the M60 clockwise at Junction 19.
Authorities advised motorists to allow extra journey time, plan ahead, and check live travel updates before attempting to travel through the affected area while the final clearances were completed.
