Concern grows over road repair delays

A car hit the central reservation of the A59 Longton Bypass between Gill Lane and Dob Lane, Walmer Bridge, before Christmas, but the barrier has not yet been fixed.

Now locals are concerned that safety is being put at risk on the dual carriageway.

One man, who asked not to be named, said: “A car hit the barrier on December 15, 100m away from where a similar crash happened in 2014.

“I thought it would be repaired quite quickly, because if another car hits in the same place it won’t be contained, but more than six months later it’s still damaged.

“I have rung Lancashire County Council on seven different occasions since December, but nothing is being done.

“The telephone operators say there’s a 21 day period for get anything done after it being reported, but when I ring back, they give all different reasons why it hasn’t been. I feel like I’m being fobbed off.

“But if another car hits in that area, it’s likely to go straight through onto to the other side of the road. And I’ve lived here since 1957 and know what idiots use the road.

“LCC need to get off their backsides and sort this out.”

Ridwan Musa, highways manager for Lancashire County Council, said: “Making repairs to safety barriers requires that we use specialist contactors to ensure the barriers meet the necessary standards.

“We have put out a tender for maintenance to be carried out to a number of sections of the safety barriers along the A59.

“We’re now evaluating the responses received and will be awarding the contract shortly, which should mean the work being done later this summer.”