M62 traffic: Six-mile tailbacks as motorway closed in both directions after two police incidents

Rush hour traffic has ground to a halt after a 10 mile stretch of the major M62 motorway in West Yorkshire was closed in both directions.

Tailbacks of up to six miles are reported to have built up around both Huddersfield and Greater Manchester after the road was shut following two separate incidents in which two vehicles crashed and a man fell from a bridge.

The closure – between junctions 22 near Saddleworth and 24 near Huddersfield and Halifax – is now expected to remain in place for much of the morning, Highways England has said. On the eastbound carriage way, the shut down extends to junction 21 near Milnrow.

The M62 is one of the UK’s busiest commuter motorways, connecting the north west cities of Liverpool and Manchester to Leeds and Hull in Yorkshire.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said in a statement: “Motorists are urged to avoid the motorway between those junctions if possible.

“Officers are continuing enquiries in the Rainbow Bridge area of the M62 after attending there at around 5am this morning after a man was sighted on the bridge.

“The male fell from the bridge at just after 6am, suffering life threatening injuries.

“In an unrelated incident, emergency services were called to the exit slip road of the M62 eastbound carriageway at junction 24 at just after 1am this morning following a serious collision between a motorcyclist and a vehicle.

“The male motorcyclist received life threatening injuries in the incident.”

The closure between J23 and J24 has been in place since around 1am when the accident took place, police said. This was then extended to Junction 22 at 5.35am when police were called to reports of the man on Rainbow Bridge.

Speaking on Twitter, one motorist, Chris Holme, said: “Anyone thinking of heading over to Yorkshire this morning don’t bother. Serious accident on the M62. Not moved an inch since 6.45.”