IN a few short years the M65 has made travel across right across East Lancashire a relatively painless activity.

So much so that it seems difficult to understand how we ever managed without it.

But some parts of East Lancashire, like the Ribble Valley, are not served by the motorway and rely on the A59.

And a lot more motorists are forced to use it anyway because the M65 runs out at Colne forcing large volumes of traffic heading for Skipton and beyond back onto the trunk road.

Many more drivers from central and East Lancashire seem to choose the A59 as their route to places like Harrogate and York and the North East because they prefer it to the overloaded M62 trans Pennine route.

Anyone who regularly travels on the A59 between Samlesbury and Skipton will know how well used the road is and realise how important it is that maintenance is kept to a very high standard.

For these reasons plans by the Highways Agency to effectively downgrade the A59 between Samlesbury and Skipton from a trunk road - which they are responsible for - to an A road looked after by Lancashire and North Yorkshire County Councils needs to be looked at very carefully.

For the Asphalt Industry Association says that while it is good for important roads to be under local control in practice local councils "are not getting the money to look after them properly."

Both the AA and RAC echo the point and have expressed concern about the effect such a downgrading might have on a road recently shown to be "down there with the most dangerous roads in the country."

The A59 is a vital artery for the region and any fall in safety standards - because cash for improvements is not forthcoming - will cost lives by increasing the number of accidents.

If this happens the government ministers ultimately responsible for the downgrading will have blood on their hands.