Roundabout work stopped over pylon problem

As part of the £434m City Deal, the A582 is being made into a dual carriageway from the M65 at Lostock Hall to the outskirts of Preston.

The Lostock Lane/Stanifield Lane roundabout has now got extra lanes and traffic lights with a similar scheme for the Pope Lane roundabout between Kingsfold and Whitestake started last month.

But Lancashire County Council (LCC) has admitted on hold in Pope Lane is on hold because of the location of pylons, and Farington Councillor Paul Wharton said changes to the Lostock Lane/Stanifield Lane site have made matters worse.

He said: “It’s vital that we have the road network in place to support new developments in our area, however I feel that this simply hasn’t been thought through or planned effectively.

“The roads now appear worse than the previous roundabout system, taking residents up to 20 minutes to navigate their way through the narrow poorly designed layout.”

Phill Wilson, City Deal project manager, said: “An issue relating to the location of the pylons has affected the improvement work at the Pope Lane junction. This has restricted the work that can be done on this site, and our original plans have been put on hold while we explore other options. While this will affect our work at this junction, our other plans are still continuing to increase the capacity along the A582 and make it easier for people to get around.”

Keith Walker, principal engineer for traffic systems for Lancashire County Council, added: “We’re aware of recent issues affecting the Stanifield Lane roundabout at peak times. The traffic signal equipment at this roundabout was recently damaged by a vehicle hitting it. Some of the equipment will need to be replaced and has been ordered.”