National Highways apologises for surprise roadworks

National Highways has apologised following unexpected chaos this morning for motorists.

Glossop and the villages of Hollingworth, Mottram, Hattersley all saw huge levels of congestion due to roadworks at Back Moor earlier today. The works were thought to be part of the A57 link road project.

The A57 link road scheme, also known as the Mottram Bypass, is estimated to be worth around £228m and has been designed to tackle congestion between Manchester and Sheffield.

A number of planned roadworks have been scheduled as part of the development process, but this morning (October 27) the gas diversion works took locals by surprise. 

One local told the LDRS: “This morning a main road was closed without prior notice, resulting in significant traffic chaos. A journey of just four miles took over an hour and a half, causing immense frustration among commuters.

“Residents are growing increasingly frustrated, and communication with Tameside Council and National Highways has been inconsistent, with conflicting information about road closure permissions.

“The result is that the villages are bearing the brunt of this chaos.”

National Highways, the government body responsible for the A57 link roads project, have apologised for the disruption and have since removed the gas works diversion.

A spokesperson for National Highways said: “We would like to apologise for the disruption caused by roadworks at Back Moor today.

“The gas diversion works were not scheduled through our usual approval process, and we requested the immediate removal of the traffic management, which has now been removed.

“We are working closely with the utility provider to ensure better coordination before any future works.”

The massive infrastructure scheme was finally signed off last year – having first been mooted in 1965.

The A57 Link Roads project includes the creation of two new link roads. One is Mottram Moor Link Road – a new dual carriageway from the M67 junction 4 roundabout to a new junction on the A57 at Mottram Moor.

The other is the A57 Link Road – a new single carriageway link from the A57 at Mottram Moor to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.

The bypass going past Mottram has always been a talking point in the area since the M67 was built. Currently the short motorway runs from the eastern side of the M60 at Denton all the way to a roundabout next to the Hattersley Tesco – where congestion is notoriously heavy at peak times.

The A57 link roads scheme is estimated to be up and running by 2028, but a full completion date could be as late as 2031, according to the National Highways website.