Greater Manchester motorway closed in both directions amid a huge change

A major motorway is closed in both directions this weekend, causing slow traffic to build up in the area - and dramatic photos capture the reason why.

The M67 in both directions closed because weekend roadworks until the early hours of Monday morning, between junction 1A A6017 Stockport Road, for Denton and Ashton-under-lyne , and junction 3 A627 Clark Way for Hyde. Congestion has built over the weekend along to the A57 between Hyde and Denton as motorists fall foul of not hearing about the roadworks, or try to circumvent them.

Routes through Staylbridge, Dunkinfield, Bredbury and Ashton-under-lyne are also affected, with drivers travelling between Manchester and Sheffield warned to expect disruption due to the closure. The queues come as work is carried out to replace the St Anne's Road bridge in Denton.

READ MORE: Dramatic images capture demolition of major bridge over M67 motorway

Work to demolish the eastern side of the bridge was completed in August 2023. The next phase of work is taking place this autumn and includes removing the bridge deck, followed by the top section of supportive structures at either side of the bridge.

Pictures taken yesterday show workers using machinery to remove the decking from the bridge. The St Anne's Road bridge, between junction 1A and junction 2 of the motorway, connects people to the A57 south of the M67.

The motorway closure came into force at 9pm on Friday (October 4) and lasts until 5am on Monday (October 7). Another closure will then take place between the same times on Friday, November 8 and Monday, November 11.

Motorists travelling between the M60 and the A57 Snake Pass, A628 and the east of England are being encouraged to follow signed diversion routes between Mottram in Longdendale and Denton Island, junction 24 of the M60. Local traffic in Hyde and Denton is being told to follow the signed diversion on the A57 Hyde Road/Manchester Road.

National Highways says it hopes the reconstruction work will improve safety and extend the lifespan of the bridge.

Mangat Bansal, National Highways’ Programme Delivery Manager, said: “We always strive to minimise disruption to customers, although regretfully delays to journeys are expected over the weekends. We are advising everyone to plan before they travel and allow extra time to complete their journey. We apologise for any inconvenience this work will cause.

“We would again like to thank the local community, including road users, for their support and patience while we continue our work to provide the new bridge.”