Shoppers hoping to find post-Christmas bargains were plunged into travel chaos on Monday after a major car park at the Trafford Centre became completely gridlocked, leaving drivers stranded for hours.
‘Hell’ trying to escape the car park
One visitor, Katrina Cliffe, who had travelled from Huddersfield, described the scene as "crazy" after she spent over an hour trying to leave. She arrived at the popular Manchester shopping complex around midday on Monday, December 29, and found a space without major issue.
However, the situation deteriorated dramatically later in the day. Ms Cliffe attempted to exit from 3.45pm but found every lane blocked by incoming traffic still searching for spaces.
"The car behind us had already been stuck for 50 minutes when we pulled out," she told the Manchester Evening News. "There's cars coming into the car park still to try and find a space, but they are blocking every lane so nobody can even get out."
Visitor takes traffic management into her own hands
The congestion was so severe that Ms Cliffe was forced to abandon her vehicle to help guide other motorists. She walked to the entrance of car park eight to warn approaching drivers not to proceed further, as the roundabout outside was also at a standstill.
"I hate coming and usually shop online but my daughter wanted to come after Christmas," she added, expressing her frustration at the unprecedented delays.
Her experience was far from isolated. Another shopper, who had only "nipped in for a browse" in the morning, reported being stuck for nearly two hours, labelling the situation "chaos".
Social media fury and traffic backlog
Angry visitors took to social media platform X to vent their dismay. One user called the centre "absolutely vile", stating it was "hell trying to get out the car park". Another confirmed they had been "trying to get off of the car park now for 2 hours".
A third user posted videos of the standstill, fuming about "appalling traffic management" after being sat for three hours and warning they would not pay any resulting parking fine.
The disruption spilled onto major roads, with traffic service Inrix reporting very slow traffic on the M60 anti-clockwise at Junction 10. Congestion stretched back to Junction 15 at Swinton, attributed to high volumes of traffic heading for the Trafford Centre and nearby retail parks.
Centre response points to breakdown and high demand
In a statement, a Trafford Centre spokesperson acknowledged the severe congestion. They cited a combination of a vehicle breakdown at Junction 9 and an exceptionally busy day at the centre and surrounding retail destinations.
"We have been advertising throughout the afternoon that all car parks are full," the spokesperson said. "Our dedicated traffic teams have been working with Greater Manchester Police and the highways authorities, deploying officers in key areas, to try and get things moving as quickly as possible."
The centre thanked visitors for their patience during the major disruption, which cast a shadow over the traditional post-Christmas sales period for many.
