A Transport Focus survey has revealed that only 69% of road users are satisfied with the region's motorways and 'A' roads, placing the north west as the worst in England alongside the Midlands and M25 regions. The M60 was ranked the third worst motorway in England, with just 63% of respondents satisfied, while the M56 was named England's third best motorway with an overall satisfaction score of 78%.
M60 concerns over congestion and safety
Manchester Evening News readers have previously called out the M60 for its 'accident hotspots' and substantial traffic. One motorist, Jackie Brogan, commented on the Swinton Interchange, which connects the M60 ring road and the south-bound approach of the M61: “The Swinton Interchange needs dealing with as it’s an accident hotspot - always congestion leading up to it from the Trafford Centre.”
Despite these concerns, Transport Focus found the M60 ranked reasonably highly in terms of road safety, with 71% of respondents saying they felt safe on the motorway. However, the M60 ranked lowest for journey times, with just 60% of respondents happy with the time it took to complete their journey. Lorraine Howarth commented: "The M60 is not called the car park for no reason, hate using the thing, and the so called improvements that's going to take 4 years will not improve it at all."
Ongoing roadworks and junction issues
In June, the Manchester Evening News reported that drivers could face years of roadworks at Junction 18, with work expected to last until 2030. While it may cause delays initially, it is expected to improve journey times in the long run and create a safer route for motorists.
Last year, the M.E.N reported on Junction 13 of the M60, after Coun Bob Clarke claimed standstill traffic is forcing people to move away from the city. At a council meeting in November, he said: "We’re losing residents now, two doctors who are consultants at Manchester Royal Infirmary have moved out of my street in the past two weeks. I asked them why - they can’t get to work. Parents can’t get their kids to school on time because of the hassle on Leigh Road, Worsley Brow, and Walkden Road."
In a recent statement to the M.E.N, Coun Clarke added: "For over three decades, M60 Junction 13 has suffered from a severe lack of coordinated infrastructure planning by the UK Government, National Highways, TfGM, GMCA, and Salford City Council. Extensive residential growth across Salford and Wigan has vastly outpaced the capacity of the local highway network. Consequently, commuter traffic channeling onto the motorway via Leigh Road has caused unsustainable delays, gridlocking Walkden Road, Worsley Road, and Barton Road for most of the day."
He continued: "The situation will be further exacerbated by the recent approval of 282 homes near the RHS. This decision proceeded despite objections regarding traffic impact from over 2,600 residents, councillors, and MPs, and despite the council's own consultants noting that the developer's traffic data lacked granular accuracy. Furthermore, submissions highlighted that the assessment failed to measure the true extent of the delays on Leigh Road. Rather than implementing robust highway improvements, the planning strategy relies on active travel alternatives that do not align with the transport realities of modern families. The resulting drop in local quality of life is now actively driving families to relocate out of the area. Other housing developments over the border in Wigan and the Hazelhurst site in Worsley will also add to the misery."
He added: "This is made worse because the government’s National Planning Policy Framework sets no explicit limit on the severity of traffic delays, which allows developers and councils to approve projects with a disregard for traffic issues. Ultimately, the crisis at Junction 13 cannot be solved without massive infrastructure investment an intervention that currently appears to be on no authority's agenda."
Coun Mike McCusker, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Planning, Transport, Sustainable Development and Regeneration at Salford City Council, said: "We are working closely with National Highways and have escalated the issue of traffic around Junction 13 of the M60 to the highest levels in National Highways and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). We recognise the significant concern this long-standing issue continues to cause for those affected, especially local residents. While we understand there is unfortunately no immediate or straightforward solution, we are committed to working collaboratively with National Highways and our partners across Greater Manchester to identify a practical and acceptable way forward. We will continue to press for progress and ensure this issue remains a priority until a sustainable solution can be found."
M56 performs better in survey
In contrast, the M56 scored best in terms of safety, with 82% of respondents saying they feel safe using it. However, it received lower scores in relation to journey times and road surfaces. Just under three quarters of drivers (74%) reported being happy with the motorway's road surfaces, while 71% of motorists said they were satisfied with journey times along the M56.
A National Highways spokesperson commented: "We manage our roads to ensure the highest levels of safety while minimising disruption to drivers. The survey results show our work to improve road conditions and incident response times have had a positive impact for drivers. When roads are well maintained, businesses and communities feel the benefit, and we are committed to tackling an ageing network head-on to keep the country moving and give drivers better experiences."
