Outrage as unauthorised road closure brings Glossop to standstill 

Motorists across Glossop were left fuming on Monday, October 27, after an unauthorised road closure at Back Moor caused widespread traffic chaos during the morning rush hour.

The unexpected works brought traffic to a standstill with queues stretching for miles and some journeys taking more than 90 minutes to cover just four miles.  

The closure, which was part of Cadent gas diversion works, was not approved by National Highways - the government body responsible for overseeing the ongoing A57 Link Roads scheme, part of the bigger Mottram Bypass project.  

Following complaints from residents and local councillors, National Highways confirmed that the works had not been scheduled through their usual approval process, and the traffic management was immediately removed once identified.  

A spokesperson for National Highways told the Glossop Chronicle:  

“We would like to apologise for the disruption caused by roadworks at Back Moor today.  

The gas diversion works were not scheduled through our usual approval process, and we requested the immediate removal of the traffic management, which has now been removed.  

We are working closely with the utility provider to ensure better coordination before any future works.”  

Residents expressed frustration at the lack of communication and coordination between Cadent, Tameside Council and National Highways, with many taking to social media to vent their anger.  

One local commuter said: “This morning a main road was closed without prior notice, resulting in significant traffic chaos. A journey of just four miles took over an hour and a half. Residents are growing increasingly frustrated, and communication between agencies has been inconsistent. The villages are bearing the brunt of this chaos.”  

Cadent, the gas distribution company behind the works, has since issued an apology and confirmed that it will pause all further work on the gas pipeline diversion until better coordination is agreed. 

Lucy Sterry, Head of Work Management (North West) at Cadent, said: “I am sorry for the disruption - while it’s not possible to work on Mottram Moor without impacting traffic, we are always clear that we must do everything we can to minimise it. 

“This work is all associated with us being asked to move a key gas pipeline - one that helps keep many thousands of homes warm in the local area, and beyond - so that the new link road can be built. 

“There are big lessons for everyone to learn here and, as such, we have decided to pause any further work on this gas pipeline diversion. 

“This allows time for conversations to happen between all parties, and to agree how we can best deliver this required pipeline diversion project on Mottram Moor.” 

Tameside Council was invited to comment but did not respond. 

The Back Moor disruption is the second major traffic incident in as many weeks following another episode earlier this month when unauthorised Virgin Media works in Hollingworth brought the A57 corridor to a standstill.  

In that case, Virgin Media installed temporary four-way lights on Market Street without approval from National Highways, leading to several hours of gridlock before the lights were removed.  

The A57 Link Roads scheme, which is part of a £228 million project designed to ease congestion between Manchester and Sheffield, remains under construction and has been a long-debated issue locally since it was first proposed in 1965.  

The scheme is expected to be completed by 2028, though the National Highways website lists a potential end date of 2031.  

For now, National Highways say they are working closely with all contractors and utility providers to prevent any repeat of the chaos seen this week. 

“We will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that all future works are properly coordinated” a spokesperson added.