'Motorway closures mean we can't sleep at night'

A couple have said they cannot sleep due to traffic being diverted past their home at night during long-running motorway improvements.

The M67 has been closed in both directions on weeknights between 20:00 and 06:00 since July and lorries and cars will continue to be diverted onto Mottram Road, in Godley, Tameside, until December.

Francoise Sullivan, who has lived on the road since 1987, said: "It's a nightmare - we just can't sleep from the noise and the vibrations. We've been given some medication but it doesn't really help because the house shakes, the bed shakes and we worry what it's doing to our house."

National Highways said it "understands" the impact roadworks can have on local people.

John Sullivan said: "You can't relax in your own home and you can't sleep at night because you're waiting for the next lorry."

The 75-year-old former Tameside mayor added: "I'm like a zombie in the daytime and it's an absolutely dreadful, dreadful way to have to live."

On one night when the M67 was closed, the couple say they counted 758 HGVs and 4,609 cars passing their home in Godley between 20:00 and 06:00.

The couple have also urged Tameside Council to resurface Mottram Road and impose a reduced speed limit to minimise noise.

The regular closure of the M67 is part of the A57 Link Roads scheme, designed to take traffic travelling between Manchester and Sheffield away from the village of Mottram in Longdendale.

Construction of the bypass is set to be completed during the winter of 2028-29.

Karen Cliffe, National Highways' programme manager, said: "We understand the impact roadworks can have and we've met with Mr and Mrs Sullivan to explain our approach.

"We carefully planned this work to minimise disruption and, in partnership with Tameside Council, determined that the A57 is an appropriate diversion route because it accepts all forms of motorway traffic, including HGVs."

A council spokesperson said: "We appreciate the disturbance that increased traffic levels, particularly HGV movements, may be causing to residents along the diversion route.

"Classified routes like Mottram Road are designed to convey the majority of traffic through the borough and we are obliged to agree to the diversion but we're liaising with National Highways to look at how they can mitigate the impact on local residents."

The work on the A57 Link Roads scheme has meant the remodelling of the roundabout at the end of the M67 in Mottram.

Farmer Allan Hopwood, who lives nearby and is the leader of Reform UK on Tameside Council, said: "It's been an absolute disaster from start to finish because it's meant extra traffic through Hattersley and through the centre of Mottram.

"If I want to cross the roundabout, I have to make a phone call to get a chaperone who can escort me across the site but I've sometimes had to wait 45 minutes for somebody to let me in to my own land."