AN all-day traffic jam has sparked another row about Blackburn's non-existent inner ring road. The hold-up, caused by a 28-tonne lorry hitting Darwen Street bridge, left motorists struggling for nearly eight hours. Darwen Street shop-owners, who were left counting the cost of lost trade, have blasted council chiefs for failing to complete Blackburn's promised inner ring road.

Peter Hobkirk, of Hobkirk Sewing Machines, said the accident - the second this year at the low railway bridge, and the sixth in three years - was bound to happen again.

He said: "We desperately need an inner ring road to give lorries an appropriate route around the town centre.

"Darwen Street has become the a nucleus of traffic, making it virtually impossible for people to stop at nearby shops.

"If the heavy vehicles were kept away from the centre, it would dramatically ease traffic and stop the possibility of similar accidents. And Barbara Castle Way will no longer be the road to nowhere."

A spokesman for Railtrack, who own the bridge, said: "This type of accident not only costs us valuable time and money in inspections and repairs, it also causes disruption to rail services and delays."

A Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesman said there was no possibility of altering the bridge but said proposals for the inner ring road were still under investigation.

He added: "We are looking at constructing an inner ring road around Blackburn as part of the Town Centre Action Plan but nothing has been decided yet."

Meanwhile, hauliers are fuming about the lack of signs on the approach to the bridge. There are just two small triangular warning signs. One 200 yards away on the approach and another high on the bridge. Both can easily be missed by drivers unused to the area.

"We launched an awareness campaign about low bridges last year to help cut the £5 million bill these incidents cause each year." But his comments failed to appease Mr Hobkirk, who said: "This town desperately needs an inner ring road - and now. What is the point of having this brilliant new M65 extension when people are stuck in traffic half a mile from the shopping centre?"

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