A59 works: This is everything we know about the A59 closure plans at Brockholes Brow in Preston

The A59 at Brockholes Brow needs to be fully closed in both directions to all vehicles and pedestrians for safety, and to allow access for the heavy machinery needed.

Here is everything you need to know.

Why is it being closed?

The road is being closed to allow for vital work to stabilise an embankment, as it currently threatens to collapse.

A lane has already been closed on the A59 at Brockholes Brow since March 2021 when a small landslip occurred on a steep wooded embankment next to the road, resulting in part of the slope encroaching onto the road.

Monitoring over the past six months has found that the embankment is continuing to move at a rate of around 10cm a month, with intervention being urgently needed to stabilise it and restore the full width of the road and pavement, mitigating the risk of a bigger landslip occurring if left in its current state.

When will it take place?

Work is scheduled to begin on Monday July 25, and is expected to take up to seven weeks.

The scheme has been scheduled during the school holidays when traffic levels are lower to minimise disruption as much as possible, and work will take place 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to minimise the duration of the closure.

What affect will the closure have?

The closure of the A59 at Brockholes Brow will have a major impact on access to and from the east of Preston with this route being a key link to East Lancashire and beyond, as well as travel north or south via the M6 motorway.

Adrian Phillips, Chief Executive at Preston City Council, said: "This will clearly be very disruptive, particularly for people who use this route regularly, local businesses, and those who live nearby, and we're very sorry for the impact this will have on them, however we’ll be making all efforts to minimise this by working around the clock to get the road reopened as soon as we can.”

What does the project involve?

-Installing large sheet metal piles as a retaining structure along a 40-metre length of the embankment

-Building a 1.2m high retaining wall along the same length

-Installing drainage to help protect the embankment from wet weather in the future

-Removing excess material from the bottom of the slope to restore the full width of the road and pavemen

-Landscaping work and planting species native to the existing woodland

-Removing the current lane closure and restoring the 40mph speed limit

-While the road is closed the County Council is also planning a range of other routine highway maintenance in the vicinity to avoid the need for further lane closures in future and minimise the overall level of disruption.What diversions are in place?A signed diversion suitable for all vehicles will be put in place when the work starts via Blackpool Road and Garstang Road for M6 Eastbound traffic, via New Hall Lane, London Road, Victoria Road, Church Brow and Cuerdale Lane for Blackburn Eastbound traffic and via Cuerdale Lane, Church Brow, Victoria Road, London Road and New Hall Lane for Preston Westbound traffic.