TRAFFIC chaos delayed hundreds of people from getting to work at Warrington today.
Emergency repairs, combined with an accident on the M6 between the Lymm and Woolston interchanges, resulted in traffic being siphoned into the town.
There were serious delays on Manchester Road and Knutsford Road and this, combined with heavy traffic coming into town along Sankey Way, caused gridlock.
Police said only one lane was open on the M6 southbound carriageway on Thelwall Viaduct.
Two vehicles were involved in the 5.30am crash and although they have since been removed, repairs were needed to the carriageway before the motorway could reopen fully.
Repair work on the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge has led to lane closures and has diverted more traffic towards Warrington.
Gridlock after motorway crash
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
10 Comments
The Council really do need to get their act together and sort out the traffic chaos generally that there is around town at peak times – even without the accidents and the Runcorn Bridge Lane closures – it’s a nightmare getting in and out of Warrington.
The A49 London Road heading towards Stretton is still at a standstill (9.10 am) as is Knutsford Road
Just wait till they stick tolls on the new Runcorn Bridge!!! The town will be gridlocked every day!
1 hour to travel on the bus from westbrook to town. farce. Its not as if this hasnt happned before (and wont again). Dont the council / HA have an emergency solution such as invoke one way traffic on certain roads etc.
With tolls on the Mersey gateway a near certainty in such cash strapped times, Warrington has to , not a desire to but must have a solution in place before it opens.
In 1965 – 44 years ago, I used to travel from Grappenhall to Sankey each morning at 8:00 am to my office. Even then the traffic at Bridgefoot could be backed up almost to Victoria Park. The council has had 44 years to do something about it and haven’t, it’s pretty safe bet that they won’t do anything for another 44 years.
This is becomming a bit like groundog day because exactly the same thing happened on Monday morning.
So interstingly if the situation has got no worse in 44 years, despite a massive increase in traffic, some changes during that time must have actually improved the situation. My guess is that it would be the motorway network that has helped, that is of course when there isn’t an accident on it. Warrington badly needs a ringroad, and some suitable roads do already exist to form it. Doubt if it will happen, but what might, will be a congestion charge.
Seems that things would be a lot easier if people stopped crashing on the motorway! Variable speed limiting over Thelwall Viaduct?
I don’t think the problems are actually due to accidents on the viaduct but the m6/m56 junction. Monday’s incident was right at the junction and just like today, the road surface needed repairing.
I have written to the council many times regarding the traffic chaos and have simply been told that they do not perceive that there is a problem in the town and everything would be lovely if we all got on the bus – what a load of rubbish. A 4 year old could manage traffic better in this town than the numpties that are allegedly “experts” in traffic management.