Cars remain underwater on the A555 following severe flooding from New Year’s Day rains
Manchester: It’s been almost a week, and cars are still stuck underwater on the A555. The flooding hit hard on New Year’s Day, leaving the road a mess.
This stretch of the Manchester Airport Relief Road is known for flooding, and it really showed this time. Heavy rains caused major flooding, prompting emergency services to declare a major incident.
Last Wednesday, photos showed cars bobbing in the water, with just their roofs peeking out. The area near the Wilmslow Road bridge, close to Stockport and Handforth, has been closed ever since.
Some parts of the road opened briefly on Friday, but more rain and snow over the weekend made things worse. As of now, the road is still shut between Woodford and the airport.
When the Manchester Evening News checked out the scene, they found at least four abandoned cars still in the water. The water level has dropped a bit, but the tires are still partly submerged.
Workers were wading through water that was more than ankle-deep, trying to assess the situation. One car was missing its back windscreen, and others showed signs of damage. Some of the water around them looked frozen.
Locals mentioned that some of these cars have been stuck there since the flooding began. One person even called the situation “embarrassing” on social media. Traffic during rush hour has turned into a nightmare, with local roads getting jammed up.
Cheshire East Council, which manages that part of the road, couldn’t say how long the cars had been there. They mentioned they’d reassess the closure in the morning.
Stockport Council added that the A555 is still closed as they focus on gritting and cleaning the road to make it safe. They’re working with neighboring councils to check conditions and decide when to reopen.
The A555, which connects the A6 to the M56 near the airport, cost £290 million to build and opened in 2018. Unfortunately, it has faced flooding issues repeatedly since then.
An investigation into the floods that hit Stockport in 2019 found that design flaws made the road vulnerable. Council leaders admitted they might never fully fix the problem.
In 2023, there are renewed calls for councils to find a solid engineering solution to end the chaos that continues to affect residents.
