Traffic queuing at Standedge Cutting above Diggle (Photo: Stuart Coleman©2012)
Snow blocked many of the high level routes around Saddleworth on Friday evening bringing traffic across the region to a standstill.
Traffic queues blocked roads at Scouthead, Standedege and Grains Bar as vehicles battled with drifting snow and icy conditions. Queues to cross Standedge extended back to Delph crossroads with drivers waiting over an hour to cover the three miles from Delph to the Standedge Cutting.
One driver, who had stopped outside the Saddleworth Hotel and was returning from working in Manchester to his home in Marsden, said, “Since Scouthead I have been crawling for over an hour at a snail’s pace. I don’t know where the gritters are but I’m sure we can do better than this.”
Although Oldham Council has prioritised primary routes in Oldham and has 10 gritters ready for use, they can’t get through to clear snow when traffic is blocking their route. Improved weather forecasting and the strategic positioning of snow ploughs may be one way forward.
The Met Office reports that temperatures will hover around freezing for the rest of this week but further snowfall is not expected.
