A £2MILLION project designed to improve Burnley’s roads and ease congestion is due to start next month.


But highways bosses have warned the project to improve four junctions along Active Way could lead to delays over the next nine months.


It is part of the ongoing £12million Hyndburn, Burnley, Pendle Growth Corridor programme which aims to unlock the potential for economic growth along the M65. 

The most significant changes will be to the roundabouts, with traffic lights due to be added to the roundabout junction with Royle Road and Brown Street.

The existing roundabout at Westgate, St James’s Street and Queen’s Lancashire Way will be changed to a crossroads controlled by traffic lights. 

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New traffic signals which feature technology to make traffic movements as efficient as possible will also be installed at the junctions of Active Way, Bank Top and Kingsway, and Active Way and Church Street. 

Council bosses claim the improvements will result in better crossing facilities for pedestrians, but have warned there will be disruption while the work is carried out. 

Drivers have been asked to leave more time for their journeys until the work, which starts on Saturday, June 10, is completed in spring 2018. 

Marcus Leigh, Lancashire County Council’s highways manager for East Lancashire, said: “This scheme is a priority for the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership to improve access to key development sites nearby, particularly Burnley College, the UCLan campus, and the planned new business park.

“It will increase the capacity of these junctions and ensure that higher traffic levels as Burnley’s economy grows will not lead to unacceptable delays. 

“Once completed, the lights will be coordinated to improve traffic flow through these junctions. 

“This is a lengthy project in a busy area and we’re highly aware of the need to minimise disruption.” 

He said they were ‘particularly conscious’ of the need to support nearby businesses, throughout the nine months of work, with access kept open at all times.

Apologising for the disruption, Mr Leigh, said: “Our approach will be to maintain traffic movements in all directions as far as possible throughout, however we will need to close lanes to traffic as the project progresses which will result in some delays. 

“The road may also be closed overnight and outside peak hours.”

Cllr Mark Townsend, Burnley Council leader, said: “It is fantastic news that this work to improve traffic flow on key routes is about to start. 

“Once completed it will make Burnley even more attractive than it already is to investors. 

“There will be short term pain for drivers but the long term jobs and and growth benefits will be worth it.”

Cllr Charlie Briggs said: “I just hope they go about it in a better way than they did the Gannow roundabout.

“Eventually they put the lights in and instead of it being a complete roundabout they cut part of it off which caused havoc.” 

Michael Kime, who works at Kingsway Coffee Shop, said:

“The traffic, especially when everybody finishes in this building, is usually at a standstill. 

“It is the roundabouts that cause the most issues because everyone is going the same way.

“It may improve the current traffic situation but obviously it will make it worse while the work is going on.”