IT is good news indeed that even the mention of extending the M65 over the Pennines is now being discussed.

The residents of Colne must be absolutely sick and fed up by now of the constant flow of heavy traffic commuting to West Yorkshire through their town.

The problem is the M65 ends and the only way to Yorkshire is a painfully slow, stop-start ordeal along a totally inadequate road which the motorway traffic has no option but to use.

Many people may argue, "why not use the M62?"

The M62 is now a 40mph traffic jam from Manchester to the far side of Leeds.

The M62 route is some 25 miles longer than the M65 route and also the M62 is nowhere near Bingley, certain areas of Bradford, Keighley and Skipton.

I have noted over the years that Colne is steadily grinding to a halt.

Every day at the same times you can guarantee you are going to be stuck there, delaying your journey by 20/30 minutes.

It is as predictable as the M6/M5 junction in the Midlands.

It's about time this part of the world had a decent road network. It doesn't take a genius to work out that a bypass at the very least connecting the M65 to the Keighley area is a must.

MARK JACKSON (via email).