Wintry conditions have left a huge chunk of the A53 ‘impassable’. Snow in the Moorlands has resulted in drivers not able to use the stretch between the Thorncliffe turning in Leek and the A54 junction in Buxton.
It comes after heavy snow hit North Staffordshire yesterday – with a further downfall during rush-hour. Yesterday evening saw issues on routes in and out of Leek with motorists reporting ‘cars stuck everywhere’ around Thorncliffe.
There were also reports of three trucks on the A53 between Leek and Buxton while Macclesfield Road was ‘at a standstill’ between Rushton Spencer and Bosley. Back towards Leek and Ladderedge was also gridlocked with motorists claiming a wagon was stuck at the brow of the hill.
Temperatures have plummeted in North Staffordshire and are lower this morning than previously forecast which has frozen the snow. A yellow warning for ice is in place for the Moorlands while in Leek it’s due to be -5C even by 8am but up in Flash it could feel like -9C.
The conditions have now seen a stretch of the A53 reportedly ‘impassable’ this morning. An alert issued by Inrix states: “A53 Leek Road in both directions impassable due to snow between Thorncliffe Road (Leek) and A54 Macclesfield Main Road (Buxton).”
We will bring further updates on the roads across North Staffordshire and South Cheshire in our dedicated blog below.