Woodhead Pass: Lorry driver taken to hospital as disruption continues after incident near Sheffield

The A628 Woodhead Pass, which is one of the major links between Sheffield and Mancester, was closed since the early hours of this morning, after a lorry collided with a wall. There is still disruption on the road with temporary two-way traffic lights in place as a result of the incident.

Derbyshire Police have now issued more details of the incident, which was reported to them at 1.24am today.

The force said officers had found a lorry drive who had left the scene after the crash.

The force told The Star in a statement: “We received reports of a collision on the A628 Woodhead Pass, Crowden stretch, just after 1.20am on Tuesday, April 1.

“The incident involved a lorry which was in collision with a wall.

They said the driver of the lorry left the scene before officers arrived and officers had been working to trace him.

He has now been found, they said, adding: “We have now located the driver and he is being taken to hospital to be checked over.”

Meanwhile, National Highways have now announced the road has partially re-opened, but say that part of the carriageway is going to have to be resurfaced before it can fully re-open.

They said: “Two-way traffic lights are due to be installed to keep traffic out of the eastbound lane, and resurfacing is required due to a significant oil spill.”

The disruption to the Woodhead Pass comes at a time when the city’s other route over the Pennines, the A57 Snake Pass, currently has two sets of traffic lights on sections which are single lane only as a result of land slips.

Mayors Oliver Coppard and Andy Burnham holding ongoing talks over the future of Sheffield’s transport links with Manchester, amid concerns over the future of the Snake Pass.

Both Mr Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, and Mr Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, want to improve links between the cities after concerns were raised over how the Snake Pass can be repaired following a number of landslips in recent years.

There are concerns over how Derbyshire Council can afford major repairs, as it is responsible for the road rather than National Highways, which operates the Woodhead Pass, further north.

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