Emergency services closed a section of the M60 in both directions between Prestwich and Simister Island in Greater Manchester on October 15. This followed a police incident that disrupted traffic across surrounding motorways and local roads. Greater Manchester Police, firefighters, ambulance crews, and National Highways personnel attended the scene as queues grew and journey times increased significantly for morning commuters.
Major Motorway Disruption and Closures
National Highways first reported the full closure at 5:04 a.m., directly impacting traffic between junction 17 at the Whitefield Interchange and junction 18 at the Simister Interchange. In addition to the main orbital route, the A665 Bury Old Road was shut between Walker Avenue and North Circle in Whitefield as part of the emergency response and containment efforts.
According to National Highways, traffic initially queued for approximately three miles on the approach, with delays exceeding 30 minutes. The Inrix traffic monitoring service subsequently reported that severe congestion extended much further back, reaching as far as junction 13 at Worsley on the clockwise carriageway of the M60.
Official Diversion Routes Put in Place
Motorists affected by the closure were urged to plan alternative routes or delay their journeys. National Highways established specific diversion paths for both clockwise and anti-clockwise traffic to help manage the heavy volume of vehicles diverted off the orbital ring road.
Anti-Clockwise Diversion
- Join the M60 clockwise and exit at Junction 19.
- At the M60 J19 roundabout, take the third exit onto the A576 Middleton Road.
- Turn right at the A576/A6044 junction onto the A6044 westbound Sheepfoot Lane, continuing onto Scholes Lane.
- Turn right at the A6044/A56 junction onto the A56 northbound Bury New Road.
- At the M60 J17 roundabout, take the first exit to re-join the M60 anti-clockwise.
Clockwise Diversion
- Exit the M60 clockwise at Junction 17.
- At the M60 J17 roundabout, take the third exit onto the A56 southbound Bury New Road.
- Turn left at the A56/A6044 junction onto the A6044 eastbound Scholes Lane, continuing onto Sheepfoot Lane.
- Turn left at the A6044/A576 junction onto the A576 northbound Middleton Road.
- At the A576/M60 J19 roundabout, take the third exit and re-join the M60 clockwise.
Collaborative Emergency Response
The incident was led by Greater Manchester Police. They worked closely alongside the North West Ambulance Service, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and National Highways operational teams. Because the M60 serves as a critical orbital ring road carrying hundreds of thousands of vehicles daily through the region, the morning closure immediately highlighted the vulnerability of Manchester’s primary transport network to unexpected emergency interventions.
Authorities continued to monitor traffic conditions throughout the morning. They advised drivers to check live travel feeds and allow extra time for their journeys while investigations and recovery operations at the scene were completed.
