Traffic brought to standstill on M62 after heavy snow

traffic on M62
There was stationary traffic for several miles on the M62. Credit: PA

Drivers on the M62 reported being stranded for several hours after heavy snow overnight.

The stretch of the motorway between West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester was brought to a standstill in the early hours of Friday.

The route was temporarily closed because of the severe conditions, with problems persisting into Friday morning's rush hour.

Journalist Rich McCarthy was among those caught in the traffic.

He arrived home after 7am having been stuck on the M62 for more than seven hours.

Mr McCarthy said: “The worst bits are around Huddersfield. There a couple of highway patrol men gave me a push when I was stuck, but said they couldn’t promise that the road ahead would be more clear. Thankfully it was.

“I saw lots of abandoned sports cars, one Jaguar left on the road with a shovel stuck in the ground next to it and no driver.

“There were lots of lorries losing momentum and getting stuck.”

Emma Hamilton, 28, who works for the NHS and is from Yorkshire, said she had been stuck for eight hours travelling from Manchester.

She said: “There’s lorries broken down all over the road across all lanes. Drivers are having to work out themselves how to go round them. Sort of bobbing and weaving round them.

“I’m just tired and upset at the lack of any direction from authorities. We’ve all sort of been left to it to direct ourselves."

National Highways said there were delays of at least three hours at times on the eastbound side of the trans-Pennine section of the motorway and 90 minutes westbound.

Traffic management system Inrix reported snow ploughs working to clear the motorway. It said: Inrix says: "Long delays and one lane closed due to snow on M62 Westbound from J24 A629 (Ainley Top) to J22 A672 (Rishworth Moor).

"The motorway re-opened at around 3.30am after being shut for over an hour, but one lane remains closed. Further ahead, there are lane closures after J22, and long delays Eastbound approaching J22 as snow ploughs try to clear the carriageway."

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