Road across Stockport have been tricky to get around
A Greater Manchester town hall insists key roads were gritted after a morning of misery along the borough’s roads. Stockport has been plagued with icy roads and car crashes today (November 22).
It comes after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice in Greater Manchester overnight. Flurries of snow were followed by periods of rain, while temperatures plunged below zero.
The conditions caused havoc on roads across Greater Manchester. But Stockport appears to be the area which has been worst affected.
Roads ground to a halt around Marple this morning (November 22) following a number of reported collisions, including a multi-vehicle smash which closed Otterspool Road, while some drivers reported abandoning their cars. Lancashire Hill near Stockport town centre, Brinnington Hill and the Stockport Pyramid roundabout also saw collisions.
And residents across the borough have complained about treacherous conditions on roads across Stockport, leading to the council being questioned about its gritting programme. In a statement issued on Facebook, the council insists ‘priority routes’ were treated on Thursday evening – only for the rain to have ‘washed some of the grit away’.
A council spokesperson said: “We wanted to give a quick update on the walking, cycling, and driving conditions this morning. After yesterday’s forecast, we started gritting the high-level routes from lunchtime and followed up with snow gritting on all priority routes after 7pm.
“Unfortunately, overnight rain washed some of the grit away, and as temperatures dropped, the rain turned to ice. Our gritting teams are back out this morning, treating the key routes, including those in the town centre. Please be careful out there – we’re looking forward to warmer temperatures (and more rain) tomorrow!”
The statement was met with criticism on Facebook, with some residents questioning why gritting did not start earlier or finish later. The Manchester Evening News approached Stockport Council for comment.