Traffic around the city centre at the moment is all over the place. A nightmare in some areas and nothing in others, so it might be worth giving it a try around the time you would normally.
You have to add the cycle traffic in too if your using Wilmslow / Oxford road too, that can make a difference, especially when the guy you just waited 1km to safely pass saunters through the red light and you are back behind him again, rinse and repeat.
I've noticed more glass than ever over the last 2 weeks around the city centre roads, seems to me that the sweepers have not been active, possibly redeployed gritting?
The giant commute thread on here is a great one to follow, not loads of conversation, but lots of story's of the little things that happen to us all. Some are learning points, some things to dispair at and others to laugh at.