Better safe than snowy

NO way through . . . police diverted traffic from a treacherous bend on the A62

A GOOD deed by police backfired causing major gridlock in last night’s snow.

Officers closed a section of the A62 near Scouthead after cars skidded on ice and snow. But this caused a huge, slow moving queue of traffic which backed up towards Oldham causing major delays.

Confused motorists arriving at the scene after the police vehicle had gone, found three unlit bollards blocking the road, diverting them on to an unlit lay-by to continue their journey.

“It was a safety precaution,” said one of the patrol officers. “Many people heading home found conditions very tricky and, with traffic crawling up the A62 at that point, it was safer to make a small diversion on the downward route from Oldham.”

Traffic police said other main roads over the Pennines were closed on the advice of highways managers.

Said Oldham’s highways supremo Tony Noblet: “The police failed to clear the scene. There was a breakdown in communication. Consequently, our gritters could not get through to clear the problem until several hours later.”

The snow caused chaos on a section of the notorious Pennine road which has been described as one of the worst in the UK.

Traffic moving at a snail’s pace on the A62 Oldham to Huddersfield Road near Scouthead caused jams as an eight-strong convoy of gritters battled to combat the problems across the borough.

Mr Noblet added: “We had the gritters in action at 3pm but part of the problem was caused by the number of vehicles blocking roads preventing our team from carrying out gritting operations.”

A woman who had pulled over further down the A62, said: “It’s been an horrific journey. Everyone was caught unawares — despite snow being forecast.”

As darkness fell, road users faced fog as an an additional hazard.

Oldham Mountain Rescue Team was put on standby for four hours shortly after 6pm as snow thickened.

At around 8pm, rescuers were called to Dovestone Reservoir after a Shaw girl in her late teens had an accident while sledging on the dam wall.


M62 halted

traffic heading west on the M62 was diverted off at Ainley Top, Huddersfield, after the carriageway was closed between junctions 24 and 22.

All three lanes were closed from 11pm until 5am today to allow emergency services to recover a jack-knifed lorry. Drivers of long vehicles faced a lengthy wait as they were stacked on sliproads until the carriageway re-opened this morning.