£55 mil infrastructure investment in Lancashire to begin with the upgrade of two main roads in Burnley
The first stage of a £55 million project aimed at improving transport across East Lancashire gets underway this month.
Work is set to start this month on a major upgrade of two main roads in Burnley as the first stage of a £55million infrastructure improvement investment across the borough, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale.
The Lancashire County Council programme aims to deliver safer, greener and healthier streets, vibrant town centres and improved public transport.
It is being paid for with £50 million in government funding from the Department for Transport, originally allocated under the previous government’s Levelling Up Fund, topped up by £5m from the local authority.
Now Whitehall has confirmed its contribution the first major works are to set to start within days on Manchester Road and Colne Road in Burnley.
These will deliver wider pavements, upgraded pedestrian crossings and refreshed public spaces on Manchester Road, alongside public realm and neighbourhood safety measures on Colne Road.
A new safety camera scheme will also be introduced on Colne Road.
Other work ready to move start include the ‘Accessible Nelson’ improvements in Nelson town centre in conjunction with Pendle Borough Council and selecting contractors to deliver the ‘Safer, Greener, Healthier Streets’ programme and the Manchester Road, Burnley, and Bank Street, Rawtenstall town centre improvements.
The project will also see improvement work in Woodnook and Countess Street in Accrington.
The programme aims to improve everyday life for residents by investing in safer streets, better public transport and more vibrant town centres.
It also seeks to help tackle inequalities by improving access to jobs and supporting local economies.
The improvements will be delivered through three connected projects:
- ‘Safer, Greener and Healthier Streets’ – safer, more accessible local streets with new crossings, pathways, planting and seating, and measures to improve road safety;
- ‘Accessible and Vibrant Town Centres’ – enhancements to Burnley, Nelson and Rawtenstall town centres, including wider pavements, better crossings, refreshed public spaces, and improvements to support local businesses and outdoor dining; and
- public transport Improvements giving faster, more reliable bus journeys through upgraded traffic signals, real‑time passenger information at more than 100 bus stops, and accessibility upgrades at around 180 stops.
The programme is expected to generate around 600,000 additional town centre trips each year, boosting footfall and business growth.
The programme will also create more than 400 new jobs worth £3.5m to the local economy, improve health and wellbeing through increased walking and cycling, and cut carbon emissions by encouraging sustainable transport.
The county council aims to deliver the ‘Accessible and Vibrant Town Centres’ in 12 months and the ‘Safer, Greener and Healthier Streets’ projects in nine months.
The public transport Improvements are expected to be delivered within nine months.
Lancashire County Council’s economic development boss Cllr Brian Moore said: “This £55 million investment in East Lancashire is a major step forward in transforming how we travel, how we access our town centres, and how we support our local economy.
“Residents will start to see real, visible change.
“Now the focus is firmly on delivering these improvements as quickly and smoothly as possible.”