Manchester airport: access from M62/Leeds

[mike004]

Travelling from Leeds area via M62 West to Manchester Airport around 11AM weekday.

When I get to the M60 Manchester ring road, is it best to go clockwise or anti-clockwise?
Maps show the distance involved to be about the same.

Mike

 

[david and julie]

Clockwise I would say. Off next one after the services at Birch, J18 I think M66/M60, then take sign for Stockport then airport.Is a little bit longer but If you were to carry on through Worsley you can get slow traffic at Worsley and on Barton bridge near the Trafford centre plus there are road widening works in Sale.(where I live)

 

[mike004]

Thanks. I'll have a look on the map.
Last time I went, I travelled anti-clockwise with no major probs.

Mike

 

[david and julie]

Mike, at the time you said you would probably find either way fine. There is just much more chance of a problem if you go through Sale rather than Stockport. You could also come off at A627M and down the old Chadderton Broadway to the M60, but the traffic can be bad. (and camera's too)

 

[mike004]

Thanks, D and J. Clockwise thru Stockport/past the "pyramid" went smoothly. Although on the way back home, an overturned caravan on the M62 East at Huddersfield lead to horrendous tailbacks all over the Pennines right back to Shaw/the Golf Club.

Question: I am travelling again from Manchester Airport next month. But this time I will be travelling around 8AM/morning rush hour. Can I expect tailbacks:
a) At the J18 M62/M60 turn off -- it seems to reduce to a single lane for both Central Manchester & M60 South/Stockport traffic.

b) M60 Stockport -- seems like this could be a potential tailback hot spot.

Thanks
Mike

 

[david and julie]

Same way back Mike, if I recall the single lane you mention is a by-pass lane to miss the lights. When you are coming back you have to go round the rounabout but it should be OK. If there are any unforeseen problems you could go to the next junction (it is only about a mile) and backtrack so you are going left for Leeds, but only do this if you have to. If you get slow traffic near Stockport and Ashton it is caused by the traffic at the slips and using the outside lane is best.

Can't help you with the section from Milnrow to Huddersfield though I'm sorry.

Don't even consider going the other way round in the rush hour its very slow going.