THE Highways Agency and construction teams should be congratulated for the speed and efficiency in which the work on the M65 extension was carried out, with minimum upheaval to the local road network

However, the opposite can be said for whoever is responsible for signposting where the various motorway junctions are.

At Intack, where Junction 6 is just one mile away, there are no signs at all to the M65 and indeed Burnley is still signposted along the A679 Accrington Road. The existing signs were there about 20 years ago.

At the Blackamoor junction on Roman Road, there are no signs at all, never mind any for the M65, where Junction 5 is just half a mile away and Junction 4 just over one mile.

At the junction of Branch Road and Bolton Road, near Ewood, where Junction 4 is just half a mile away, the only signposts point to Bolton or Blackburn along the A666.

Near McDonalds at Ewood, the sign for the M65 to Burnley still directs people through the town centre to Junction 6, approximately four miles away, while Junction 4 is about one mile away.

At Darwen Street Bridge, there is just one sign directing traffic over Audley to Burnley via the M65. However, on reaching the other end of Audley, in which direction does traffic go as there is no M65 sign?

At Feniscowles roundabout, at the junction with Livesey Branch Road, again, no signposts to the M65 and Junction 3 (Blackburn West) is approximately half a mile away.

It is all well and good for the local people who know where they are going, but what about visitors to the town, such as shoppers, football supporters and industrial transport?

It is reprehensible that these people should be made to struggle to find their way out of the already congested maze of a road system in Blackburn.

Hopefully, those responsible will rectify the situation.

ANTHONY MEDLEY, Cheltenham Road, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.