HIGHWAYS bosses in Blackburn are axing two sets of traffic lights in the town centre to try to reduce congestion.

Lights where King Street meets Mincing Lane are being removed as part of a masterplan to ease traffic around the entrance to the Mall shopping centre car park.

Elsewhere, traffic lights at the junction of Salford and Penny Street have been out of action for several weeks in a trial set to continue.

The work around King Street will see cars approaching the car park down Mincing Lane directed into King Street, along Barton Street and up Cardwell Place.

It will mean King Street’s one-way system is reversed away from the town centre, forcing vehicles heading for the Mall from Preston Old Road to go via Montague Street.

The work, to ease congestion in Darwen Street, should be complete by late August.

Meanwhile, Blackburn with Darwen Council is trialling a no-lights system in Salford after a one-way enforcement was introduced in Penny Street earlier this year which reduced traffic flow.

It will continue for at least a few weeks and could be made permanent.

Council highways chief Dave Harling said: “It is true turning off traffic lights will save money but it will improve traffic flow too.

"The problem is that when cars are coming out of the Mall car park, traffic is backing up in Darwen Street. Hopefully this will prevent that.”

The new measures will also help buses get to a new NHS health centre near Blackburn College off Barbara Castle Way.

Senior Conservative councillor Alan Cottam, who first floated plans for the town centre in 2009, said: “Anything that will help improve traffic flow in the town centre is to be welcomed.”