Shoppers seeking post-Christmas bargains were plunged into a nightmare of gridlock at the Trafford Centre, with some motorists reporting being trapped in the car park for over two hours.
A Desperate Bid to Manage Traffic
The situation became so severe on Monday, December 29, that one visitor, Katrina Cliffe, felt compelled to abandon her own vehicle to help manage the escalating chaos. Ms Cliffe, who had travelled from Huddersfield, ended up guiding other drivers away from the congested area outside John Lewis after finding herself and hundreds of others completely unable to move.
She described a scene of total standstill, with every lane gridlocked and incoming vehicles blocking the exit routes. "You just can't get anywhere," she told the Manchester Evening News. "The car behind us had already been stuck for 50 minutes when we pulled out." Ms Cliffe added that she had to walk to car park eight to warn approaching motorists not to enter the affected zone.
Widespread Frustration and Delays
The frustration was echoed widely by other shoppers caught in the disruption. One visitor who had only intended a brief browse reported being stuck for nearly two hours, labelling the scene "chaos". On social media platform X, users vented their anger, with one calling the experience "hell" and another noting they had been trying to exit for two hours.
The congestion was not confined to the shopping centre's grounds. Traffic monitoring service Inrix reported very slow traffic on the M60 anti-clockwise at Junction 10, with tailbacks stretching to Junction 15 at Swinton, attributing the problem to high volumes of traffic heading for the Trafford Centre.
Centre Response and Apology
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Trafford Centre acknowledged the severe congestion. They cited a combination of a very busy day at the centre and nearby retail parks, along with a vehicle breakdown at Junction 9 of the motorway, as contributing factors.
The spokesperson confirmed that traffic teams had been working with Greater Manchester Police and highways authorities, deploying officers to key areas in an attempt to restore flow. "We have been advertising throughout the afternoon that all car parks are full," they said, concluding with an apology: "We appreciate our visitors' patience whilst trying to get in and out of the car parks."
