Post-Christmas shopping descended into chaos at the Trafford Centre on Monday as hundreds of motorists found themselves trapped in gridlocked car parks for hours. The severe congestion, described by visitors as "hell", caused major delays that spilled onto surrounding roads and the nearby motorway.
Traffic Standstill Sparks Social Media Fury
The problems began on Monday, December 29, with visitors reporting being stuck in their vehicles from the afternoon well into the evening. Long queues of stationary cars were pictured around the perimeter of the shopping centre, particularly on Trafford Boulevard and Barton Dock Road. Shoppers took to social media platform X to vent their frustration, with one post titled "Hell at the Trafford Centre" showing endless lines of cars unable to exit a multi-storey car park.
Many reported being stuck for over two hours with little to no movement. One frustrated shopper, Katrina Cliffe, was forced to abandon her own car to help direct traffic outside the John Lewis store. She explained that she had been trying to leave since 3:45 pm and that every lane was completely blocked, with new arrivals exacerbating the problem.
A Public Safety Risk and Wider Transport Impact
The situation escalated to the point where some labelled it a public safety risk. One person posted online about being "trapped at Trafford Centre" for two hours with "thousands trapped with no water/info". The disruption extended far beyond the centre's car parks.
Bus services in the area were severely delayed, and significant tailbacks were reported on the M60 anti-clockwise. Traffic monitoring service Inrix noted "very slow traffic" from Junction 10 back to Junction 15 at Swinton, compounding the travel misery for a huge number of people.
Centre Response Points to Unprecedented Demand
In a statement to the Manchester Evening News, a spokesperson for the Trafford Centre acknowledged the severe congestion. They cited a combination of an exceptionally busy day at the centre and nearby retail parks, along with a vehicle breakdown at Junction 9 of the M60.
The centre stated that they had been advertising that all car parks were full throughout the afternoon. They confirmed that their dedicated traffic teams had been working with Greater Manchester Police and highways authorities to deploy officers in key areas and manage the flow of vehicles, thanking visitors for their patience during the ordeal.
