Police have said they will prosecute drivers who used the hard shoulder to bypass a road closure, after a woman was spotted on the wrong side of a motorway bridge.
The M56 at junction 4 for Wythenshawe was closed in both directions in the early hours of Tuesday (27 October) morning.
A woman was spotted on camera 'in the middle of a bridge' over the carriageway at around 5.45am, a spokesperson from Highways England said.
The road was closed by 5.50am.
Police were called to the scene and closed the section of motorway whilst they dealt with the incident.
In a post on Twitter, they said a number of motorists had used the hard shoulder in an attempt to get past the road closure.
Pictures from traffic cameras show a number of cars appearing to undertake vehicles in the slow lane to get through.
GMP Traffic said: "This morning we implemented a closure of the M56 due to concerns for welfare.
"A thank you to those motorists who were patient allowing emergency services to work.
"To those who used the hard shoulder to try and bypass the closure, you will be prosecuted."
Police reopened the road again by 6.10am, the Highways England spokesperson confirmed.
The M.E.N has approached Greater Manchester Police for more information.
