A serious police incident on the M61 near Bolton caused major disruption across Greater Manchester on Friday, with the motorway closed in both directions between Junction 2 at Linnyshaw and Junction 4 at Over Hulton.
The closure followed a concern-for-welfare report, with Greater Manchester Police later confirming that a man had sadly died at the scene. Officers said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
The incident led to long delays for drivers using one of the regionâs key motorway routes, as traffic was diverted away from the affected stretch and onto nearby roads around Bolton, Kearsley, Farnworth and Over Hulton.
Police and National Highways teams remained at the scene while enquiries, recovery work and safety checks were carried out. Drivers were urged to avoid the area, allow extra journey time and check live traffic updates before travelling.
M61 shut between Junction 2 and Junction 4
The motorway closure affected both northbound and southbound traffic, creating heavy congestion across the wider Bolton road network. The shutdown came during a busy travel period, leaving many motorists facing slow-moving traffic and extended journey times.
Northbound traffic was told to leave the M61 at Junction 2 and follow the signed diversion via the A666 Kearsley Spur, A6053, A5082 and A6 before rejoining the motorway at Junction 4.
Southbound drivers were advised to leave at Junction 4 and follow the diversion route using the A6, A5082, A6053 and A666 Kearsley Spur before returning to the M61 at Junction 2.
The closure placed extra pressure on local roads, with congestion reported around key junctions and diversion points. Motorists travelling through Greater Manchester were warned that delays could continue while emergency services completed work at the scene.
Read More
Police confirm death after welfare incident
Greater Manchester Police said officers were called to reports of a concern for welfare on the M61 on Friday. A man was pronounced dead at the scene, and police confirmed the incident was not being treated as suspicious.
The motorway remained closed while officers carried out enquiries and recovery teams worked to make the road safe for reopening. Authorities did not immediately give a confirmed reopening time.
National Highways advised drivers affected by the closure to plan ahead, allow extra time or consider delaying journeys where possible. Live traffic services showed disruption spreading beyond the motorway as vehicles were redirected through surrounding routes.
Emergency incidents on major routes such as the M61 can quickly create wider congestion, particularly when closures affect both carriageways. In this case, the closure between two key junctions forced traffic onto smaller roads not designed to handle motorway-level volumes.
Drivers heading towards Bolton, Manchester, Preston or the wider North West were advised to check the latest motorway information before setting off. Those already travelling in the area were told to follow official diversion signs rather than relying only on sat-nav routes.
The incident caused significant concern among local residents and motorists as emergency crews worked on the motorway. Police have not released further personal details about the man who died.
Disruption was expected to ease only after police completed their enquiries and National Highways confirmed the affected stretch was safe to reopen.
Anyone travelling through the area on Friday evening was urged to leave extra time, avoid unnecessary journeys near the closure zone and monitor official traffic updates for the latest reopening information.
Make Swikblog your go-to source on Google for reliable updates, smart insights, and daily trends.
