Roads reopening as icy blast eases

Date published: 03 March 2018


A number of road closures have been lifted after work carried out by the emergency services and partner agencies.

The A640 in Denshaw remains closed, but all other road closures have now been lifted.

Commuters are advised to continue to plan their journeys in advance and take the weather into account.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said: “This has been an incredibly difficult week for anyone travelling in and out of Greater Manchester and, although we are not completely back to normality just yet, we are starting to see an improvement.

“There have been a number of road closures over the past few days which were put in place to ensure the safety of members of the public, as they were completely unusable due to the weather.

“Many of these have now been lifted, including the closure on the M62, which has probably been the most notable one and caused the most disruption.

“This truly has been a team effort from start to finish and we have been working closely alongside colleagues from the fire and ambulance services, Mountain Rescue, Highways England, multiple local authorities, the military, other police forces and volunteers. It has been a tremendous effort from all involved.

“I would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding whilst rescue efforts have been carried out. Their support has been fantastic and we have even had some very thoughtful people coming out to provide hot refreshments to officers working on the ground.

“This kind of generosity means a lot to us and helps make a difficult job that little bit easier which can make all the difference.

“Although the roads are starting to clear of snow in some areas, we are still experiencing very cold and icy conditions so I would continue to encourage people to please plan your journeys ahead of time and drive carefully.”