Roundabout work starts for Broughton Bypass

County Hall bosses are warning people travelling through Broughton to allow more time for their journeys and to consider alternative routes, as the work gets under way.

Work is beginning on Wednesday to prepare for construction of the roundabout, where the bypass meets the A6 at the northern end of the scheme.

It will involve removing hedgerows, building a new lay-by, and utility companies re-routing pipes and cables. Temporary traffic lights will be in place to help the work be carried out safely.

Similar work will take place on other stretches of the A6, as well as Whittingham Lane and D’Urton Lane over the next 15 months, and people are being asked to prepare for disruption as it will affect journey times.

Leaders at Lancashire County Council say the new road will help boost the local economy and create jobs, as well as reduce congestion and pollution in the centre of the village, and improve journey times for people travelling locally.

Scheduled to open in spring 2017, the £24m scheme is receiving funding through both the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal and the £251m Lancashire Growth Deal.

County Coun John Fillis, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “There’s going to some temporary disruption while this work is carried out and we hope that people will bear with us over this period.

“There are huge benefits coming to Broughton from the bypass, but as with any major road scheme some inconvenience during construction is unavoidable. We’re working hard to keep this to a minimum.”

The construction work is being carried out by Hochtief (UK) Construction.

Matthew Mosley, project manager from Hochtief, said: “We are looking forward to working closely with Lancashire County Council, the local community and all stakeholders on this essential infrastructure improvement project to reduce congestion in the village of Broughton.”

Construction of the bypass will also support a new housing development on the former Whittingham Hospital site, where approval has been given for a development of 650 homes and 9,000 square metres of space for business use.