Ahead of the M60 at Simister Island shutting again this weekend, residents living nearby are disgruntled but resigned
Congestion on Middleton Road in Prestwich after the M60 shut. (Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
Residents on a tiny street sandwiched between acres of parkland and a roaring six-lane motorway are ‘resigned to their fate’ as a road closure this weekend will yet again bring gridlock to their doorstep.
The Simister Island project – set to last until 2030 – promises to ease congestion at the junction, which is one of the busiest in the North West. But two weeks ago, the roadworks saw the closure of the M60 between junctions 17 (Whitefield) and 18 (Simister Island).
It brought ‘horrendous’ bottle necks to the streets of north Manchester a fortnight ago. Traffic was forced to leave the motorway and divert via Prestwich Village, Heaton Park and Middleton Road to get back onto the M60.
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Now, the motorway is set to shut again this weekend from 10pm on Saturday (October 10) until 6am on Monday. National Highways have warned motorists passing through the area to expect delays of up to four hours.
‘We are trapped’
Among a crowded field of people frustrated by the closures, surely no-one has a more legitimate grievance than the residents of Old Hall Lane, a leafy cul-de-sac a stones’ throw from junction 19 (Heaton Park) off Middleton Road, sandwiched between Heaton Park and the M60.
From Saturday night, thousands of motorists will be using their only way out as a cut-through, presumably champing at the bit to get back to 70mph after countless minutes crawling bumper to bumper along residential roads.
Drivers have been told to avoid the area where possible – but Old Hall Lane’s residents have no choice if they want to leave their homes on anything other than two feet. It means taking their chances against the hordes of other frustrated motorists.
Traffic waiting to turn onto Sheepfoot Lane(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
“You need a pair of balls and to take a chance to get out of here on a normal day,” said one resident who declined to give his name, but saw no reason to mince his words.
“The older you get, the more you lose confidence in your driving,” added the 74-year-old, who has lived on the street for 20 years. “When this happens, it’s feeling trapped and not being able to get out and about.
“It doesn’t bother me too much, but it does my wife. We’re close to putting the house on the market, and this probably has played a part in that.
“The motorway does need upgrading. Traffic is still backing up off the motorway even on a normal day. It means we won’t be going to Bury Market or Bury altogether. But there’s nowt we can do about it.”
“We know about it, and that’s it,” was the summary of neighbour Steve. The 44-year-old has lived on the street since 2012.
“They could probably do it quicker than three years. I think they’re probably p***ing about a bit. It needs doing but they could have planned it better, like doing it overnight. It now means on a Sunday we just can’t go out.”
He too was resigned to the situation. “It’s only one day… Parklife is a whole weekend and Oasis last year was ten whole days. I don’t really feel they care about the residents with this though.
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“We’re stuck in our houses a bit and you are quite isolated. But we do have a supermarket across the road that you can walk to. We’re on the edge of it…on Sheepfoot Lane it’d be worse.
“If it was weeks on end then I’d be complaining. And if it was during the week it would be chaos.”
Lengthy queues last time the junction shut (Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
Another resident Michelle Smith said she ‘knew what to expect’ ahead of the closure. “We’re going to have to take different routes, and plan ahead definitely,” said the 45-year-old.
“I should imagine it’s going to get worse over the next three years, but I hope it’s going to help.”
“It is what it is, we’re used to it with Parklife,” she continued. “We have had to argue with police to get into our own street before. Parklife is a pain in the bum compared to this.
Neil, 47, said he got stuck in the previous closure. “It took us an hour to get to Barton Airport…it normally takes twenty minutes,” he said.
“It took us through Prestwich to avoid the closure and we were stationary for 20 minutes at one point, we got sent up all these residential roads not meant for traffic. It does affect me ’cause I work in Bury. And it means I won’t see my grandchildren this weekend as they live in New Moston.”
Neil said he was broadly supportive of the scheme. “If the upgrades work then I’ll be pleased, I do think it needs doing and the lighting is bad. But only time will tell,” he said.
“It’s something we needed 30 years ago, why couldn’t we have done it sooner? The motorway gets hammered right now. But I’ve got to swallow it, it’s the hand I’ve been dealt. What’s the point in standing around and whinging? You’re not going to stop it.”
Why the motorway will be shutting
Simister Island is one of the North West’s busiest motorway junctions, and is suitably congested on a daily basis. A major project expected to last until 2030 will see it upgraded to five lanes in both directions, and a new loop road so fewer drivers will need to change at the roundabout.
Four huge concrete gantries, which carry motorway signage over the M60, are being removed as part of the ongoing scheme. Average speeds of 50mph, and more overnight closures are expected to feature.
Two of the concrete gantries were removed during the first part-weekend closure on 26-27 September, which National Highways said was ‘successfully completed well within schedule’. Another gantry is set to be removed this weekend.
Francis Oliver, National Highways Senior Project Manager, said: “This is a vital scheme for the north west as Simister Island is used by more than 90,000 vehicles every day, and the M62 corridor is a major trade route between the port cities of Liverpool and Hull.
National Highways says the works are ‘vital'(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
“The works will create additional capacity, improve traffic flows and reduce congestion. We appreciate this closure will cause disruption and would like to thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding while we carry out this essential work.”
The concrete gantries range from 22.75m to 33.25m in length and stand around seven metres tall, each weighing between 90 and 120 tonnes.
In a statement, National Highways added: “They are being removed having reached the end of their operational life and will be replaced with new ones designed around the updated junction layout.
Diversions for this weekend’s closure will be in place, and National Highways is working closely with Transport for Greater Manchester, local authorities, Greater Manchester Police, emergency services and partners to keep disruption to a minimum.
“Diversion routes will be clearly signposted, and full information about the routes and a map can be found on our website,” the transport body said.