Snake Pass Alternative Routes

What is the best alternative route when Snake Pass is closed?

If the A57 Snake Pass is closed, the best alternative route depends on your starting point, destination and the reason for the closure.

For journeys between Greater Manchester, Glossop, the Peak District and Sheffield, the three main alternatives are:

• The A628 Woodhead Pass
• The A623 and A6 through the Peak District
• The M62 motorway further north

Do not assume that the closest alternative will always be the quickest. A closure on Snake Pass can put additional traffic onto surrounding routes, while snow, accidents and roadworks can affect more than one trans-Pennine route at the same time.

Always check current traffic and road conditions before choosing your diversion.

A628 Woodhead Pass

The A628 Woodhead Pass is one of the main trans-Pennine alternatives to Snake Pass and is often the most obvious option for drivers travelling between Manchester and Sheffield.

From the Glossop side, traffic can travel towards the A628 through Tintwistle and cross the Pennines via Woodhead before continuing towards the A616 and Sheffield.

Woodhead Pass carries significantly more strategic traffic than Snake Pass and is also an important route for heavy goods vehicles.

However, Woodhead Pass is not immune to disruption. It crosses exposed Pennine terrain and can also be affected by snow, severe weather, accidents and roadworks.

National Highways has installed automated closure gates and variable message signs on the A628 specifically to allow the route to be closed more quickly during severe weather.

If Snake Pass has closed because of widespread snow or severe weather, check that Woodhead Pass is still open before diverting onto it.

Is Woodhead Pass better than Snake Pass in winter?

Woodhead Pass can be a useful alternative when Snake Pass is closed, but it should not be treated as guaranteed to remain open during severe winter weather.

Both roads cross high and exposed parts of the Pennines, so a major snow event can affect both routes.

During bad weather, check the status of both Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass before setting off rather than travelling towards Woodhead on the assumption that it will be open.

A623 and A6 via Chapel-en-le-Frith

A more southerly alternative uses roads through the Peak District, including the A623 and A6 around Chapel-en-le-Frith.

This route can be useful when Snake Pass is closed and may suit drivers travelling towards the Hope Valley, Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Stockport or southern parts of Greater Manchester.

It is also particularly relevant because Derbyshire County Council has used this corridor as the official signed diversion during major Snake Pass closures.

During the three-week Doctor's Gate closure in June and July 2026, the signed diversion used the A6013, A6187, B6049, A623, A6, A6015, A624 and A57.

The exact route you should follow will depend on where the closure begins and ends, so follow temporary diversion signs where they are provided.

Is the A6 a good alternative in snow?

The A6 can provide another route around Snake Pass, particularly when closures are localised to the A57.

However, it would be misleading to describe the A6 as a route that rarely closes or is guaranteed to remain clear in winter.

Roads around Chapel-en-le-Frith, Buxton and the High Peak can also experience snow, ice, flooding and other weather-related disruption.

If Snake Pass has closed because of widespread severe weather, check conditions across the wider Peak District before deciding which route to take.

M62 motorway

The M62 provides a much more northerly alternative across the Pennines.

For a direct Manchester to Sheffield journey it usually involves a substantial detour, but it can become a useful option if the main Peak District crossings are experiencing serious disruption.

Depending on your starting point, a journey may use the M62 before travelling south towards Sheffield via the motorway and major road network.

The M62 is built to motorway standards and carries large volumes of long-distance traffic, including HGVs, but it can still be affected by accidents, severe weather and planned closures.

It should therefore be treated as another alternative rather than a guaranteed route around bad weather.

What is the official diversion when Snake Pass is closed?

There is not one permanent diversion that applies to every Snake Pass closure.

The signed diversion depends on which section of the A57 is closed, why it is closed and the traffic restrictions in place at the time.

During the planned Doctor's Gate closure between 15 June and 3 July 2026, Derbyshire County Council directed traffic via the A6013, A6187, B6049, A623, A6, A6015, A624 and A57.

Emergency closures caused by snow, accidents or other incidents may have different arrangements, so drivers should follow official road signs and current travel information.

Alternative routes for HGVs

Heavy goods vehicles need to take particular care when choosing a route around Snake Pass.

Derbyshire County Council currently requires HGVs over 7.5 tonnes to use a signed diversion because of the ongoing landslip problems on Snake Pass.

The signed HGV route uses the A6013, A6187, B6049, A623, A6, A6015 and A624 rather than the affected section of the A57.

This restriction applies even when Snake Pass itself is otherwise open.

Drivers of large vehicles should follow signed freight routes and avoid allowing a satnav to redirect them onto unsuitable minor Peak District roads.

Alternative routes for caravans and motorhomes

Caravans and motorhomes should also consider more than just journey time when choosing an alternative route.

The Peak District contains steep gradients, narrow roads, sharp bends and exposed sections where conditions can become difficult in strong winds, snow or ice.

Main A-roads are generally a better choice than shortcuts through villages or across minor moorland roads, particularly in poor weather or after dark.

If severe weather is affecting the whole Pennine area, consider delaying the journey rather than trying to find an increasingly minor route around a closure.

Avoid satnav shortcuts through minor roads

One of the biggest problems during a major road closure is traffic being redirected onto roads that were never designed to carry large volumes of vehicles.

A navigation app may identify a narrow lane as the shortest way around a closure, but that does not necessarily make it a sensible diversion.

Minor Peak District roads can be narrow, steep and difficult for vehicles to pass each other on. In winter they may also receive less treatment than major routes.

Some tracks and byways in the Peak District also have vehicle restrictions, so drivers should not assume that every road shown by a navigation app is suitable for through traffic.

Where an official signed diversion is in place, follow it rather than attempting to save a few minutes on local lanes.

Which Snake Pass alternative should I use?

How much longer is the diversion around Snake Pass?

There is no reliable single figure for how much time a Snake Pass diversion adds to a journey.

The difference depends on where you start, where you are travelling to, which section of Snake Pass is closed and how much traffic has moved onto the alternative routes.

During a major closure, an alternative that looks only slightly longer on a map can become significantly slower because hundreds of other vehicles are using the same diversion.

Live navigation data is therefore more useful than a fixed estimated diversion time.

Check Snake Pass and alternative routes before travelling

Before setting off, check whether Snake Pass is currently open and whether there are any problems on your alternative route.

This is particularly important during snow, ice or severe weather, because the same conditions that close Snake Pass can also affect Woodhead Pass and other roads through the Peak District.

For a planned closure, follow the official signed diversion. For an unexpected closure, compare current traffic conditions before choosing between Woodhead Pass, the A6 route and the motorway network.