A HIGHWAYS chief has put the brakes on suggestions that the county council is ignoring Traffic problems in Colne after the motorway link between the M65 and the M6.

County Coun Richard Toon, chairman of its highways committee, said: "There seems to be a misconception in the Colne area that the county council is unaware of the recent increase in traffic following the opening of the M65 extension.

"We constantly look at traffic flows and indeed there is permanent traffic count equipment sited at Kelbrook.

"We have given a commitment to monitoring the effect of the M65 on the North Valley Road, Colne, and elsewhere in the county.

"Traffic flows always take a little time to settle into a pattern following the opening of a major road and when this period is over we will be able to determine what the precise effect has been. The information will certainly be made public."

Before the link-up it was predicted traffic along North Valley Road would increase by between 2,000 and 3,000 vehicles a day.

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