Buy in bulk, queue in bulk as Costco customers stuck in 70-minute car park crawl

Friday, 25 July 2025 13:46

By David Murphy

Friday lunchtime meltdown as drivers trapped in standstill traffic just trying to leave

Costco Oldham customers were left stranded in “unbelievable” queues on Friday lunchtime after traffic around the Chadderton store came to a near-complete stop, with some drivers waiting over an hour just to leave the car park.

Shoppers described to our reporter, who was also stuck in the car park, the experience as “a nightmare”, with snaking tailbacks stretching from the car park exit right onto Broadway, sparking fresh criticism over the store’s layout and traffic light management.

“I just needed some bulk buys for the weekend,” said Royton mum Paula. “Instead I sat in my car for 70 minutes while nothing moved. People were yelling out of windows and kids were crying in the back seats. It was worse than Christmas at the Trafford Centre.”

Peter, a builder from Hollinwood, told Roch Valley Radio: “It was gridlocked in every direction. I’d finished early to avoid the weekend madness, but I could’ve done a full shift in the time it took to leave that car park.”

Some drivers timed the delay from engine-on to exit, with the longest reaching one hour and ten minutes.

Residents say the problem is made worse by the store’s entrance and exit feeding directly onto the busy A663 Broadway, which itself suffers regular congestion at the traffic light.

“It’s just not built to handle the volume,” said Lynn, 63. “There’s no traffic control, and no way an emergency vehicle would’ve got through. It’s not fit for purpose.”

Roch Valley Radio contacted both Costco and Oldham Council for comment. No reply had been received at the time of publication.

Locals are now calling for urgent changes to prevent further traffic build-up, including extra marshals, better exit signage, and a complete rethink of the site’s traffic layout.

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something happening in our Borough?

Let us know by emailing newsdesk@rochvalleyradio.com

All contact will be treated in confidence.

More from Local News

Seven Sisters tenants reaction to the news they could soon be removed

Billy Jackson has called Rochdale’s Seven Sisters home for 40 years. But shock decision means 2025 will be his final year in the iconic tower blocks.
Festive magic arrives in Bury as North Pole Safari Trail transforms town centre

Free augmented reality trail, festive lights switch-on and family events launch Christmas celebrations in Bury
Replacement mosque plans approved despite concerns about parking

Plans to knock down and rebuild a mosque in Prestwich have been approved despite a 1,630 person petition opposing it.
Andy Burnham ‘taken aback’ by decision to move hundreds out of Seven Sisters towers

Andy Burnham was ‘taken aback’ by a decision to clear Rochdale’s iconic ‘Seven Sisters’ tower blocks, forcing hundreds from their homes.
Nine-bed HMO built ‘without permission’ discovered after neighbours complain

Council enforcement officers discovered a nine-bed HMO had been created without permission after a complaint from neighbours, councillors have heard.
Rochdale’s music legacy takes centre stage with iconic Cargo Studios reunion

Rochdale’s rich musical heritage was centre stage at a packed launch event marking the beginning of a new borough-wide celebration called ‘Rochdale Music Stories’, featuring big names like Peter Hook, Clint Boon and Andy McCluskey.
Naked man stops traffic on Rochdale Road in Bury in shocking mid-morning incident

A naked man caused disruption on a busy Bury road on Wednesday morning, swatting at cars and attempting to open vehicle doors before being detained and taken to hospital.
Seven Sisters tower blocks to be emptied over safety concerns

Residents of the iconic tower blocks that have dominated the skyline of Rochdale since the 1960s have been told they will be evicted due to safety concerns.
Culture Co-op secures £1 million to give Rochdale residents more say over arts and creativity

Rochdale’s Culture Co-op has been awarded £1 million to put local people at the heart of cultural decision-making, as part of a £42 million national programme run by Arts Council England.
Hollin pupils turn happiness into poetry during magical session in Middleton

Middleton Library plays host to spellbinding session with Rochdale’s poet laureate Sammy Weaver
Waugh presses government to ensure grooming inquiry tackles race and class ‘head on’

Rochdale MP Paul Waugh says national grooming inquiry must win survivors’ trust and 'follow the evidence wherever it leads’
Goodbye garlic bread? Sandbrook Park Pizza Hut to shut as 68 UK branches axed

Rochdale’s Pizza Hut restaurant is among dozens of UK branches set to permanently shut, after the company that operated the brand in the UK fell into administration.