Lancashire town centre roadworks 'costing drivers their sanity' as MP blasts chaos
Burnley MP Oliver Ryan has condemned roadworks in the town centre as “utterly unmanageable” for motorists.
The Labour backbencher said: “If anyone’s tried to move around town recently, right now it’s one massive queue.
“I feel like our town’s gone mad.
“The roadworks across Burnley have tipped from a bit of a pain to utterly unmanageable.
“Right now, trying to get from one side of Burnley to the other is like attempting to navigate the world’s most poorly designed obstacle course whilst blindfolded.
“It costs time, money, fuel and, in most cases, people’s sanity. But somehow, we’ve still got roads so full of potholes that cars are being damaged on a near daily basis. It’s a disgrace.
“Lancashire County Council are responsible for our roads, including highway maintenance, works like these and traffic management. That’s their remit.
“So just to be as clear as possible: things are going very wrong. From Manchester Road, to Rossendale Road, to Accrington Road, to Centenary Way, to Barden Lane, there is no escape. It’s relentless.
“This isn’t controlled improvement. It’s unbridled chaos. We warned this is what would happen. And here we are: lane closures stacked on top of one-way systems, bottlenecks all over town, and let’s not even mention the queues in a morning.
“But this isn’t just about inconvenience. The real, tangible impact of these works is being felt by businesses all over town. I am calling on Lancashire County Council to urgently review the phasing of these works, to engage meaningfully with affected businesses, and to introduce real, practical measures to reduce damage.
“I’ve been in contact with the director of highways and the Levelling Up Fund delivery manager at LCC to express my concerns and request an urgent meeting. I’ve also been liaising with the site manager running the Manchester Road scheme.”
In February, announcing the works on Manchester Road, Cllr Brian Moore, LCC’s economic development and growth boss, said: “These upgrades will create a safer, more welcoming environment for everyone who lives, works or visits here.
“The temporary one‑way system is essential to allow our teams to deliver this work safely and efficiently. Once complete, Manchester Road will be a more attractive, accessible and vibrant route that supports local shops, encourages active travel and helps strengthen the town centre.”
The county council has been approached for comment on Mr Ryan’s criticisms.