M60 motorway fully SHUT due to flooding

The M60 motorway is fully closed this morning (Thursday, January 15) due to flooding caused by a burst water pipe. The anticlockwise side of the motorway is shut from junction 17 for Prestwich and Whitefield to junction 14 for the East Lancashire Road. National Highways said the flooding on the carriageway is between junctions 16 and 15, within a planned overnight closure for roadworks.[1]

The road was due to reopen at 5am, however it remains shut to traffic due to the flooding -which National Highways has said is not related to the planned works. A spokesperson said: "Overnight works on the M60 anti-clockwise in Greater Manchester between J17 and J14 are overrunning their scheduled end time of 05:00 due to flooding affecting the carriageway between J16 and J15. "The flooding is due to a burst water pipe.

Specialist support and equipment are on scene, and traffic is likely to experience delays in the area until the carriageway can be made safe." A spokesperson for United Utilities said: "We are onsite investigating a burst pipe which is impacting the southbound carriageway of the M60 between junction 15 and 16. We have isolated the burst and the clean up operation is underway.

"The safe re-opening of the motorway is our top priority and we are working with partners at National Highways to make this happen. We apologise for the inconvenience this is causing." Long queues are building up to the closure this morning.

A diversion route is in place around the roadworks.

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References

1. ^ within a planned overnight closure for roadworks. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)