The motorway is the most important east-west road in northern England. Great efforts are made to keep the road clear of snow in winter months, when other cross-Pennine routes are often shut.
The section of the M62 around Manchester, between junctions 12 and 18, has been renumbered as the M60 Manchester Orbital road. Another section of the orbital road, formerly known as the M63, was originally built as a section of the M62.