Should M66 flooding issue have been tackled sooner?
THE inquest into the tragic death of Natalie Doherty, who died following a crash on the M66, was held this week.
As has been reported, Natalie’s car aquaplaned on a stretch of the M66 before crashing.
The authorities, notably Highways England, said at the inquest that there was nothing to suggest there was an issue with floodwater on the motorway until Natalie’s death.
Instead, the water was on the carriageway due to the volume of rain on the day, in May.
But I can’t be the only motorist who uses the
M66 who knows that it takes far less rain on the M66 for it to be awful to drive on compared to other motorways nearby.
Work has now taken place to improve the flooding there, and hopefully that will make a difference.
To suggest the M66 wasn’t known as a problem in bad weather until this spring seems very far-fetched indeed, and questions should be asked in more detail about what should have been done sooner.
The coroner has asked for confirmation that checks are taking place in heavy rainfall, such as that we saw this week.
Perhaps Rossendale Council and Bury Council should be asking questions too.
It’s too important to ignore.