A multi-vehicle collision on the M62 motorway near Rochdale, Greater Manchester, brought traffic to a standstill on Sunday afternoon, with emergency services responding to what National Highways described as a “incredibly serious” incident. The westbound carriageway between junctions 20 and 19 was initially closed, causing significant delays for motorists.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene shortly after 3:20 PM, reporting a collision believed to involve three vehicles. Fire crews were observed cutting the roof off one of the cars involved, indicating the severity of the damage. Two air ambulances landed on the motorway to provide medical assistance.
While the eastbound carriageway was temporarily closed, one lane was later reopened to allow some traffic flow. However, substantial congestion remained, extending onto the A627 and other routes through Middleton and Heywood as drivers sought alternative routes. National Highways reported up to four miles of congestion.
As of 6:13 PM, National Highways announced that two out of the four lanes on the M62 Westbound had reopened, with the eastbound carriageway now fully open. Despite the partial reopening, delays persisted.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman confirmed that a separate incident on October 23, 2025, involving several vehicles on the westbound carriageway between Junction 12 for the M60 and Junction 11 for Risley, resulted in delays of up to one hour, but no injuries were reported. That incident also involved spillages on the road surface, which were subsequently cleared.
Earlier, on October 27, 2025, a crash on the M62 led to eight-mile tailbacks and delays of up to 90 minutes for motorists heading towards Greater Manchester. The incident involved the closure of lanes two and three of the eastbound carriageway between Junction 22 for Denshaw and Junction 23 for Huddersfield.
On the same day, October 27, 2025, a separate incident involving a broken-down truck caused lane closures on the M62, adding to the traffic disruption in the region.
