Drivers call for action at “nightmare” motorway junction

Collision at the roundabout off junction 21 of the M62

Drivers have slammed the council for “ignoring” the dangers of a nightmare motorway junction in Milnrow.

At least two accidents and many more near misses have taken place recently on the roundabout at junction 21 off the M62, as cars swerve between lanes in order to jump the queue.

Nick Dunbar, who commutes daily from Manchester to Milnrow, said he sees the cars jumping lanes on a daily basis, and ended up in an accident back in February.

He said: “It’s a nightmare. I have to slam my brakes on almost every single day as cars swing back into the middle lane. I’ve been in touch with the council and they don’t seem to care one bit. There really should be more enforcement in the area before someone is seriously hurt.”

The right hand lane leads back onto the motorway, and the middle lane is for Shaw, but drivers jump into the wrong lane to get ahead before cutting in at the last minute.

Mr Dunbar got so tired of seeing this happen that he started to take video footage.

He added: “The last time I was hit was back in February. It just can’t go on. Someone is going to get seriously hurt if drivers don’t start using the lanes properly. The council has been told about it more than once but nothing is going to be done.”

Milnrow Councillor Andy Kelly has acknowledged the problem, he said: “It’s a very frustrating situation and it’s not easy to come up with a solution. The road traffic officers need to be more aware of how dangerous it really is. There should be better enforcement in the area to stop it from happening.”

Kenneth Hall, who lives close by, said: “I had one coming up that fast behind and he had to slam the brakes on when the driver realised there was a queue. Just stopped short of my rear bumper. At least I got away with that one. I bet many others don’t.”

The Council insists that there is no issue in the area. Steve Reay, Head of Highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We’re not aware of any problems at this junction. It is operating as normal and is safe.”