No end in sight for jams up the junction

Highways chiefs say the re-modelling of the junction of Golden Way/Penwortham Way and Pope Lane in Penwortham is only around a third completed, with the bottlenecks scheduled to continue until early October.

The work is part of an ambitious scheme to make the entire route from the M65 at Bamber Bridge into the centre of Preston a dual carriageway.

With an average of 22,500 vehicles using the road every day, the improvements are essential to cut congestion which regularly builds up at both morning and evening rush hours.

Workmen only moved on site a month ago and still have at least eight weeks to complete the roundabout.

LCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, Coun Keith Iddon, said: “There improvements being delivered as part of the City Deal will help ensure that out roads can cope with more traffic as our economy continues to grow.

“We are doing everything we can to keep any disruption to a minimumand complete this vital work as quickly and efficiently as possible. We apologise forany disruption to people’s journeys.”

Drivers who regularly use the route are hoping the work on the junction will not suffer the same delays as other parts of the overall project.

The dual carriageway between Cop Lane and Millbrook Way ran months over schdule due to a dispute over a parcel of land. And work further up Penwortham Way was also delayed due to the siting of an electricity pylon.